Simple Gifts, A Luke and Reid Love Story
by lovelure
Summary: Train? What train? Following their first Christmas together, Luke and Reid embark on journeys of self-discovery. Can two simple gifts lead to a happily ever after? Shamelessly romantic, with a sense of humor. Rated T for strong language & fluffy innuendo.
1. Snyder Farm

**Chapter 1: Snyder Farm**

"Thanks grandma. Merry Christmas." Luke turned to Emma and gave her a big hug and kiss as he walked out the door. Reid had gotten his arm stuck in his coat, and lagged a few steps behind.

"Dr. Oliver..." began Emma, placing a hand on his arm.

Reid turned on the doorstep and looked at her quizzically. Small talk was never his thing, but he knew he should say something. Luke cast him a sidelong glance so he thought he'd better say it soon. "Everything was great, Mrs. Snyder. Thanks for making me feel at home," he said, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder.

Luke stifled a chuckle.

"Dr. Oliver," began Emma again. "You're welcome any time. And thank _you _for putting the sparkle back in Luke's eyes." She then leaned forward pinched his cheek, and gave him a big bear hug. While Reid rolled his eyes and gave Luke a "WTF do I do now?" look, Luke didn't bother to hide his smile.

" 'Night, grandma," called Luke, as Reid broke free of Emma's embrace and took his hand.

They walked hand-in-hand down the long driveway to the car, their even gaits matched, step for step. Snow had fallen during the day, and the freezing temperatures created a thin crust over the gravel. Their steps made beat out an even crunch, crunch, crunch rhythm as they walked.

"Thanks for coming," said Luke. "It meant a lot to me."

"Hmm," said Reid, not sure how to respond. "So that was an infamous holiday at Snyder Farm, eh?"

"Yup," replied Luke. "It's too bad you got called down to Dallas for Thanksgiving. At least then you would have been around for..."

"...the Hubbard squash?" asked Reid. "Who the hell makes a tradition out of demolishing a giant gourd? Hasn't Emma ever heard of Libby's?"

"Bite your tongue," said Luke. "My grandmother never uses canned anything...And don't pretend that she doesn't make the best pumpkin pie you've ever had."

"Okay, I'll give you that. She makes good pie. I think your dad had fourths."

"Yeah, well he probably oughta cut back. Ever since he moved back to the farm, she's been baking for him almost every day. He's starting to look like the Pillsbury dough boy!" joked Luke. Reid couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of a little white dough boy with Holden Snyder's face – chef's hat and all.

"Now that Bad Dad's finally out of the picture, do you think your folks'll get back together?"

Luke shrugged. "I dunno. They've been together and apart so many times, I don't think it matters any more. They'll always love each other, but maybe it was finally time for them to move on. Faith hasn't given up, but Ethan and Nathalie think it's normal for mommy and daddy to be apart. I guess modern families are unconventional."

"You know, I think you Snyders might even be more interesting than the Hugheses," shot Reid, trying to lighten things up.

Luke smiled appreciatively.

"All right, hot shot," said Reid, arriving at the car and making his way to the driver's side. "Toss me the keys."

"No way," said Luke. "I'm the one who doesn't drink, remember?"

"Aww, with all that food, who could possibly be drunk?" scowled Reid.

"I'm driving," said Luke. He let go of Reid's hand and made a big show of searching all his pockets for the car keys. Then with a mischievous grin and a sudden surge, tucked his shoulder under, and knocked Reid aside with a rugby-worthy tackle, reaching for the door.

Reid, who wasn't expecting the tackle, fell back laughing. "I'll get you for that!"

"You've gotta catch me first!" shouted Luke as he dodged around the front of the car.

"Why you..." said Reid, and he took off after him. Luke ran around the car twice before stopping by the rear bumper, faking left and right. Reid leaned against the hood trying to gauge, thinking for just a beat too long, though, as Luke grabbed a handful of snow off the back of the car and tossed it right into his chest.

"Oh, now you're really asking for it," said Reid, returning fire. After peppering each other with snowballs for several minutes, Luke finally declared, "Cease fire!"

"Oh, really?" asked Reid, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you remember, I don't give up on the fight." He started towards Luke mock-menacingly.

Luke returned the staredown, and then replied, "In your dreams, doc," as he changed direction and took off again.

Reid knew him well enough to know which way he'd run this time, so he head-faked and then turned, closing the distance between them in double time. Two steps later, the sounds of their footsteps, breathing, and laughter was shattered by a loud "Whooooaaaa!" as Luke lost his footing and slid into Reid, knocking him over on top of him.

"Owwch," declared Reid.

"Oh don't be such a baby," scolded Luke, "At least you had a soft landing!"

"Easy for you to say. Have you poked yourself in the ribs with your elbow lately?"

The two shared a quick smile as they caught their breath. Reid untangled himself from Luke and pushed himself up, then reached down to give Luke a hand up. "C'mon. Let's go home."

"All right, but I'm driving!"


	2. Home

**Chapter 2: Home**

During the car ride, Reid went along with Luke's cheery chatter about the day's highlights.

"Did you see the look on Ethan's face when he opened the Power Ranger toy we got him?" asked Luke.

"Poor kid looked terrified. I told you you should have gotten him a chess set."

"Yeah, right. Like you know all about what kids want," retorted Luke. "Did you even play with toys when you were a kid?"

"I never was a kid."

"So what was your favorite toy?"

"I didn't do toys," said Reid.

"Aw, c'mon," prodded Luke. "You must've played with something!"

"Well, I guess I sometimes used my imagination," conceded Reid.

Luke couldn't resist the opening. "You had an imagination? Were you good at playing doctor?"

"I'm even better now," replied Reid, leaving the statement open for interpretation.

Luke turned to catch his eye, almost forgetting he was driving.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Mr. Snyder, and keep your eyes on the road before you kill us both," admonished Reid. But then he smiled.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the house that used to be Katie and Brad's. In September, Katie had invited them, along with Henry and Maddie to an impromptu dinner at Chris Hughes's house. Though Hank drove him nuts, Reid was beginning to see why Katie was so fond of him. Reid still couldn't stand Chris, but Reid would do just about anything for Katie and Jacob, so along they went.

Midway through dinner, between the salads and the beef Florentine, Katie had stood to make an announcement: she and Chris were engaged. Henry started to stammer, and even Reid raised an eyebrow. But Katie was beaming, so Reid decided he'd question her sanity later in private.

Katie poured champagne and Chris toasted his beautiful bride-to-be, while Henry and Reid rolled their eyes and Luke and Maddie gushed their congratulations.

Then, Katie stood up again. Raising her glass, she smiled broadly and turned to look squarely at Reid. "Oh, shit," thought Reid. "This can't be good."

"And..." began Katie, with a dramatic pause, "Since I'll be moving in with Chris, I think that you, Reid - and Luke - should buy my house."

"Are you crazy?" Reid had asked incredulously. Luke and Reid had grown closer over the past several months, and were spending practically every hour, waking or not, together. Only work commitments kept them apart. But as far as living together, neither had broached the subject yet.

Luke looked shell-shocked – first by Katie's very public suggestion, then by Reid's outraged response. Luke's knee-jerk reaction had been similar, but he'd moved almost instantaneously from "that's crazy" to "hmmm...maybe," so Reid's unequivocal denial took him aback. He bit his tongue and looked away.

Reid caught Luke's expression out of the corner of his eye and realized how Luke had interpreted his outburst. Katie sternly waggled her eyebrows at him, giving him a "say something you big dope" look, while Maddie, Henry and Chris looked from Luke to Reid and back, as if watching a tennis match.

Reid never apologized for stating his mind, but he could tell he'd hurt Luke. While he struggled to find the right words to say, he threw Katie a "throw me a lifeline, will ya?" look.

Her frown said, "Chicken. Fix it yourself," but she obliged. "Luke already spends more time there than I do. And I just can't stay in that house with Chris. There are too many memories of Brad there, so we really need start our lives together someplace else. Your stuff is already there, Reid, why wouldn't you just stay?"

By this time, Reid had recovered his tongue enough to manage, "Thanks for the suggestion. We'll, um, talk about it." He waited until he made full eye contact with Luke and his eyes made a silent apology.

Luke was quiet through most of the rest of dinner, but Katie and Maddie quickly jumped in and kept up the conversation until it was time to go home.

Luke continued to sulk in the car as Reid drove, leaning against the car door with his arms folded tightly across his chest.

Finally Reid broke the silence: "I didn't mean it to come out like it sounded."

"What, like you can't imagine my moving in?" asked Luke petulantly.

"That's not what I meant at all!" protested Reid. "You know I don't play games. My first problem is that it's crazy for Katie to be marrying Doogie Hughes in the first place. She's not ready. And she loves that house. Even though they're at Chris's most of the time already, it's just not gonna be the same without her and the kid."

"Is that what you'd like? To stay Katie's roommate forever?" challenged Luke.

"No, that's not what I mean either," said Reid. "Look, I'm not going to spend all night defending myself, but I want you to understand."

"Understand what?" demanded Luke.

"If you'd stop assuming that I'm Noah trying to push you away, you could actually hear what I'm saying," said Reid.

The mention of Noah's name struck a nerve and Luke withdrew even further.

"Luke," Reid tried again. "You were still reeling from your relationship with Noah when we got together. And you never got a breather in between to figure out what you really want. How do you know you're ready to move in with me?" asked Reid.

"Look, just because you know everything in the world about people's brains doesn't mean you know everything about their hearts. Especially mine," Luke retorted. "Why don't you give me credit for knowing what I want?"

A lengthy list of times Luke had made decisions without knowing what he wanted, couched in an acerbic response, sat on the tip of Reid's tongue, but he managed to keep it in check. He forced himself to count to five before asking, "What _do _you want, Luke?" with what he hoped was a questioning, rather than demanding tone.

Put on the spot, Luke realized that he really didn't know.

He adored the time he was spending with Reid. His involvement in the hospital wing had given him something meaningful to do with his days. He had started learning the ropes at Grimaldi, but he'd never asked to take over the company, and the routine responsibilities at the shipping company left him less than enthralled. For the Snyder Pavilion project, he had personally interviewed the contractors and checked in with project planners on a daily basis. As he spent more time at the hospital and learned about what Reid did on a day-to-day basis, Luke was able to translate what he learned into improvements in the wing's design and management.

Outside of work, Luke and Reid had fallen into a comfortable pattern. On Monday and Thursday evenings Reid stayed late in the office, reviewing case files and details before surgery the next morning. Tuesdays were joint working nights, with both of them spending the evening reviewing status reports and meeting with a revolving door of architects, contractors, suppliers, physicians, patient rights groups, and media. Luke had foundation meetings on Wednesday nights, visiting as many of the Oakdale –based organizations they supported as he could on a regular basis.

On weekday mornings, Reid was inevitably up before Luke, so Luke had grown accustomed to waking up in an empty bed. But he was always reassured by the the smell of the coffee Reid set brewing before stepping in the shower, and he would never tire of watching Reid shave in the mornings, framed in the bathroom door – water still glistening on his shoulders and back. It took two months before Luke had managed to convince Reid that he was soon to be "Administration" and could leave the weekend call shifts to more ordinary physicians. Reluctantly, Reid had begun having coffee at home on Sunday mornings, and after two more months, had progressed to taking Saturdays off and enjoying lazy Sunday morning lie-ins with Luke.

Luke had even grown accustomed to hearing Reid's beeper going off in the middle of the night. The first time, he had awoken with a start, thinking it must be the smoke alarm. But Reid had leaned over and whispered, "It's the hospital – blunt force trauma. Gotta go. Get some sleep," before kissing him on the cheek. Luke rolled over to watch Reid dressing in the dark before silently disappearing through the doorway.

He had been amazed how quickly he'd forgotten what it felt like to wake up alone in the middle of the night. He edged himself closer to the empty side of the bed, trying to capture the last of the warmth Reid had left behind. When he leaned his head against Reid's pillow, he found it still smelled like him, so Luke wrapped his arms around it before snuggling deeper under the covers.

As for snuggling under the covers, even the thought brought a smile to Luke's lips. When they first found each other, they were painfully intense, drinking each other in like an oasis in a desert. But they soon began to realize that they would both be around for awhile, so their nights became less urgent and more varied, echoing the ebbs and swells of their days – variously needy, exuberant, tender, or intense. Luke's shyness crept in, but he was happy to lie back and let Reid introduce him to erogenous zones he'd never even considered.

Luke spent countless nights mapping out every inch of Reid's body, tracing his chin with his lips, outlining the contours of his back, memorizing every ripple on his chest, and pinpointing the exact location of the sensitive spot on his left inner thigh. He loved falling asleep feeling Reid's stubble against his shoulder, wrapped in his arms, with the weight of Reid's right leg pressing heavily atop his hip.

"Luke?" came Reid's voice in the dark. Luke had been driving in autopilot and they were only a few blocks from Katie's house. Reid's house..._His _house?

"Luke, what're you thinking?" asked Reid as they pulled into the driveway.

Luke paused for a moment before speaking. "I'm thinking," he said, "I'm home."


	3. Simple Gifts

**Chapter 3: Simple Gifts**

Luke officially moved into "Katie's house" at the beginning of November. Not much changed, except that Luke ran out of clothes less frequently and now had access to his complete CD and comic book collections, much to Reid's consternation.

Henry was to be Katie's best man (again) and Reid had good-naturedly agreed to be her "maid" of honor ("But no drag queen jokes," he'd said, accepting). So Luke and Reid were inevitably drawn into wedding planning.

"How can anyone care so much what color the napkins are?" asked Reid, tossing aside one of Katie's wedding magazines.

"It's a special day," replied Katie.

"Yeah, I know, 'You only get married once.' No wait, that doesn't seem to apply in Oakdale."

"Hey, be nice," said Katie. "Didn't you ever dream of getting married?"

Katie didn't need any words to interpret Reid's blistering "are you an idiot?" glare, so she changed the subject. "So, have you gotten Luke anything for Christmas yet?"

"What, are we Rob and Laura Petrie already?"

"No, but it's your first Christmas together. You should get him something special."

"An Amazon giftcard's not special?"

"Reid! I'm serious. Luke's a romantic. I bet he's already thought out what he's getting for you. Think about it..."

Reid hated shopping - even more than he hated small talk. The pressure to come up with something "special" gave him a headache. "You got any sandwich stuff in the fridge, Katie?"

* * *

As they entered their house, Luke tossed the car keys on the side table, while Reid left the two giant shopping bags of presents they'd collected at the Farm beside the door.

"I'm freezing," declared Luke. "Want a hot chocolate?"

"Nah, the caffeine'll keep me up. I have rounds in the morning. I'll take a water, though."

"Sure," replied Luke, heading into the kitchen. "Coming right up."

"What're you up to tomorrow?" asked Reid. He busied himself pulling case files out of his briefcase and sat down on the couch. He took the seat nearest the kitchen – "his" side - and began reading.

"Not much. Probably just heading to my mom's to watch Ethan and Nathalie for a bit so she can get out and return some of those unwanted gifts," replied Luke. Then he paused, recognizing Reid's uncharacteristic small-talk. "Why?" Luke asked, suspiciously, pulling a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

Just then the microwave buzzed. "You're cocoa's ready," Reid pointed out, obviously.

Luke continued to eye Reid suspiciously and burned his lips on the hot drink. "Yowch!"

"Need me to kiss it and make it better?" called Reid.

"Is that what the doctor ordered?" returned Luke.

"What do you think?" asked Reid noncommittally, turning to his paperwork.

Luke wiped up the cocoa he spilt and brought the steaming mug out to the living room. As he walked behind the couch, Reid stuck up his hand without looking up, and Luke baton-passed him his water. Luke put his drink down on the coffee table before taking a seat soclose to Reid that the papers tilted off his lap. Reid looked up with an exasperated glare and Luke leaned forward and presented him with a curled up, burnt upper lip.

Reid was pretty good at pretending to be buried in his work, but even he decided this wasn't worth missing. He put his arm around Luke's shoulder and pulled him closer. Slowly he pressed his lips around the tender pink flesh, gently running his tongue across the painful burn. Then he nibbled his way across Luke's upper lip, savoring the odd combination of pumpkin pie and cocoa. Luke closed his eyes to concentrate on the warm, wet, softness sensations, momentarily forgetting the sting they were temporarily replacing. He contentedly leaned in for more, just in time for Reid to pull away.

"All better?" Reid asked, smiling for a microsecond, before pulling away to rescue the stack of manila folders that had slid off his lap onto the floor.

"Yeah, loads," said Luke, rolling his eyes. "Thanks." Though Reid didn't play mind games, it didn't preclude him from being a merciless tease when inspiration struck; so Luke was no longer surprised when Reid switched gears to return to his work. He'd get even later.

Luke got up and rummaged through the bag of presents they'd returned home with, pulling out the Wallace Stegner novel Lily had bought him. He sat back on his own side of the couch, and reached back for the new fleece blanket that Katie had dropped off earlier in the week. Reid intuitively moved the files from his lap to the table, while Luke unfolded his legs, letting his feet rest in Reid's lap. Luke picked up his cocoa and settled back with his book, while Reid found the file he had been reviewing before being interrupted and picked up where he had left off.

* * *

The clock struck 9:30 halfway through Reid's fourth case file. It was a quiet week with the Christmas holidays – no sane patient schedules elective surgery between Christmas and New Year's, so he was well into following week's cases already. He had expected Luke to break the silence by gleefully announcing that it was time to exchange presents and Christmas hugs, etc., etc. But Luke had looked perfectly content to read on the couch until he fell asleep. Must be some book – damn Lily. Maybe Katie had been wrong, and Luke didn't view this Christmas evening differently from any other.

Every time Luke stole a glance at Reid he was engrossed in his files. He knew Reid hated being disturbed when reviewing case files. Distractions led to errors, and he was not a man to accept errors – in himself or anyone else. So Luke, kept his attention to his book. At least he'd tried to. He'd read the second chapter twice and still didn't know what it was about.

When the clock finally struck ten, Luke gave up waiting for Reid to finish. "Well, it's been a long day," he announced. "I think I'm going to turn in."

He picked up his long-empty mug and brought it into the kitchen, depositing it in the sink. Reid watched with a bit of curiosity as Luke opened the refrigerator door and bent over to reach into the vegetable drawer. Luke seemed to pause momentarily, and Reid thought he heard him take a deep breath before closing the door, and returning to the living room.

In his hand, Luke held a small, very cold, gift-wrapped present. He silently placed it on the coffee table, kissed Reid on the top of the head and headed to bed.

"Wait, Luke," said Reid, putting his hand on Luke's wrist. "I have something for you, too."

"It's not a business card is it?" asked Luke. "You know I already have your beeper number."

"Ha ha, very funny. But I probably deserve that," smiled Reid. He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a 4" stack of files.

"A stack of paperwork? You shouldn't have."

Reid gave a brief chuckle and a nod as he reached into the bottom of the nearly empty briefcase, pulling out a long, slender green and gold box.

Luke's eyebrows went up in surprise. "I thought you don't do gift wrapping."

"Well, Katie helped," said Reid, handing him the present.

"Okay, you first," said Luke. He knelt down on the floor next to Reid.

"It's not a pint of blood or a salami is it?" asked Reid.

"Nooooo!" replied Luke indignantly.

"Then why the hell was it in the fridge?"

"When was the last time you looked in the vegetable drawer?" asked Luke.

"Good point," said Reid. "Okay, I'll go first."

Reid curiously eyed the small box. About 2" across in each dimension, it was predominantly red, with a gold holly pattern, and a neat gold bow. It had been years since he last shared Christmas presents. Usually, he had volunteered to take call on Christmas day just so he didn't have to listen to his colleagues whine about missing precious family time. His assistant had taken care of presents for relevant parties (the Chief of Staff, Head of Surgery, among others) and he had grown accustomed to an annual restocking of his wine cabinet with the usual selection of chardonnays and merlots from his equally uninspired colleagues.

The present exchange at Snyder Farm had been an assault on his senses: Upon entering the farmhouse, he was engulfed with the smell of Emma's Christmas turkey and pumpkin pie. The enormous tree was covered with a motley assortment of homemade and store-bought ornaments and the kitchen counter covered with an equally motley assortment of baked goods whose quantity steadily dwindled as a revolving door of Snyders, former Snyders, and almost-Snyders stopped by throughout the day. Emma had strung additional wire next to the fireplace to hold the dozen personalized stockings. Ethan had hung a toy stethoscope on a plain knit stocking in Reid's honor.

All day long, the children were everywhere alternating between handing out presents and showing off their latest acquisition. Luke, of course, had taken care of all the presents, but had generously labeled them all "Love Luke and Reid." The whole scene reminded Reid of one of those dripping holiday ads for Hallmark or long distance phone companies. The non-stop kisses on the cheek made Reid wish he'd taken call that day, but Luke looked so happy to be surrounded by his family, that he resigned himself to hiding in the corner (as much as that was possible with all the Snyders around) and watching Luke smile as he interacted with each and every person there.

Katie and Jacob had stopped by mid-afternoon before meeting Chris at the Hugheses, and Reid found a moment to give them the presents he had selected himself. It took nearly 20 minutes to calm the hubbub down enough to pay their respects to Brad. The family stood for a moment of silence, which was shattered when Ethan's new Nerf basketball landed in Jacob's carriage, setting off a loud series of startled wails. Compared to the day at the Snyders, the current silence was overwhelming. Luke was looking at him with those puppy-dog, looking-for-approval eyes, so Reid realized he ought to pick up the pace. He removed the top of the small box and pushed aside the small clump of white tissue paper hiding the contents. Reid looked inside the nest of tissue to find a small piece of tumbled cobalt blue glass.

Luke wasn't sure what to expect. He knew Reid wasn't sentimental, and had little appreciation for material beauty. Reid's Dallas condo had all of the warmth and personal touches of a Hampton Inn. In truth, Reid's first instinct was to comment on the demise of the Grimaldi fortune, but thought better of it. Holding the glass up to the light, Reid instead opted for straight and simple. "Nice color."

Reid turned his eyes from the glass to Luke and asked, "What is it?"

Luke, who had braced himself for a trademark sarcastic remark, replied before he had a chance to process Reid's more measured response. "A piece of glass. Did you miss a chem lab or two in med school?"

Reid didn't miss a beat. "I don't think it's just a piece of glass. What aren't you telling me?" He looked into Luke's eyes, waiting until he was ready to respond.

Luke held Reid's gaze for as long as he could, marveling at how Reid's eyes reminded him of the reflections bouncing off the glass, and taking in strength to tell the story behind his choice. He finally broke eye contact, looking up and away, as if he were searching for a memory, and began to speak.

"When I was about eight or nine," he began, "My dad took us to California. My mom stayed in with Faith, who had this nasty cold all week, and I spent most of my mornings on the campground's little beach while dad made breakfast and got ready for the day."

"Your parents took you camping? All the five star hotels closed for the summer?" Reid interjected. "Somehow I can't picture Lily Walsh wearing plaid and sleeping in a tent."

Luke ignored him. "The beach was pretty small, so I spent a lot of time making sandcastles, digging tunnels – you know, fun kid stuff," Luke began. The mental image of a skinny little toe-headed Luke Snyder, building sandcastles and watching them wash away brought a smile to Reid's face.

Encouraged by the smile in Reid's eyes, and the subtle nod of his head, Luke continued. "One morning, I saw a new kid playing on the beach. He was about my age, and had a bunch of water guns with him and spent most of the morning trying to knock down empty soda cans. He had short dark hair - almost buzz cut – kind of a funny nose, incredibly long eyelashes, and eyes so blue I could see the color from the far side of the beach."

Luke self-consciously chuckled. "I tried to be all casual, but I probably looked totally lame walking back and forth down the beach near him. I finally got up the nerve to ask him if he wanted to dig for hermit crabs and sand dollars with me. He gave me a 'what're you, five?' look but went along. We found a big patch of sand that was relatively seaweed-free and sat down to start digging. He didn't say much except that he was from Utah, and his folks were divorced, so I guess we kind of hit it off."

Reid continued to listen quietly, biting back a snide remark about Utah.

"I'm not sure how long we were there, continued Luke. "It felt like both a few minutes and forever. We didn't find any hermit crabs, but made a decent sized pile of shells; we each saved a few of the nicest ones. It was getting close to lunchtime when I found this piece of glass. I'd never seen glass that color before – certainly not smooth beach glass like it. I thought it was pretty cool, so I started to offer it to him. But just then, he dug up a used condom and ran off shouting that he absolutely _had _to show his brother."

Reid couldn't hold back this time. "Ew!" he said. "Doesn't he know how that human semen can sustain numerous communicable diseases for days outside the body."

Luke raised an eyebrow and scowled back. "Ew, yourself. Thanks for that lovely analysis."

Reid rolled his eyes. "Pardon me. Continue."

"Well," sighed Luke, "I took it home 'cause I liked it, but I'm not sure what I thought I'd do with it. I had completely forgotten about it until last month, when I was packing up stuff at my mom's to move here. I found it in the back of my old socks drawer, and..." Luke trailed off, not sure how to continue without sounding like a drip.

"And...seeing all your old socks reminded you of me?" asked Reid.

"Um, yeah, kinda," said Luke laughed nervously, starting to think the idea sounded a lot better in concept than execution.

"I know just what to do with it," Reid said reassuringly. He wrapped the glass back up in the tissue paper and set it back in its box on the table. Then he leaned over the side of the couch and swung his briefcase onto the couch next to him. Reaching inside, he pulled out the sleeve of photos he kept with him, propped it open with two fingers and then gently deposited the tissue-wrapped glass inside.

"Thank you," he said softly, leaning forward to give Luke a tender kiss on the forehead. Not knowing what else to say, he added, "Okay, your turn."

Luke picked up the green box and gave it a quick shake. Sizing up the sound and shape of the package, Luke lightened up, asking, "Lemme guess - a tie?"

Reid rolled his eyes again.

There had been no card on the outside, and inside there was only a plain white business-sized envelope. On the outside, in Reid's illegible scrawl, Luke made out "To Luke. Love, Reid."

Luke carefully broke the seal, leaving the paper intact. He unfolded the green paper, and set it aside. Nervously, he lifted the lid. "An Amazon gift certificate?"

It was Reid's turn to look on anxiously, though he tried to roll his eyes again in a way he hoped looked nonchalant.

Luke stuck his finger under the flap and ripped open the top. He peered inside and recognizing the document's characteristic design, frowned quizzically. Pulling out the sole item inside the envelope, he read the fine print in surprise, and said the only words that came to mind. "A round-trip coach class plane ticket to Iowa?"


	4. A Few Hours in Close Sweaty Quarters

**Chapter 4: A Few Hours in Close Sweaty Quarters**

"You do know my family has a corporate jet, right?" Luke reflexively added.

"I didn't think you needed a third," replied Reid.

It was Luke's turn to roll his eyes. "Why Iowa?"

Reid took a breath before he replied. "Because I enrolled you in the Iowa Writers Workshop retreat."

"You did _what_?" asked Luke.

Reid wasn't sure what Luke's response would be, but so far, this was not heading in the right direction.

"I enrolled you in the Iowa Writers Workshop retreat," he repeated. "There's a four-week session beginning the first week of January."

"Have you completely lost your mind? I can't go anyplace next week!" Luke protested. "I have responsibilities at Grimaldi! I have the foundation fundraiser at the end of next month to plan, and..."

Luke stopped mid-sentence and frowned. "And what makes you think I'd want to go to a writers' retreat?"

"You can thank your friend Maddie for that," Reid answered.

"Maddie?" asked Luke incredulously. "I didn't even realize you knew Maddie. What's Maddie got to do with this?"

"Well," Reid began. "Do you remember Katie's engagement dinner?"

"Yeah?" replied Luke cautiously. "So?"

"Well, when Katie dragged you off to get drinks, you left me trapped with Maddie for almost 40 minutes."

"Oooooo," said Luke dramatically. "Did big, bad Maddie scare wittle Weid?"

"Trust me, my root canal was less scary," Reid replied.

"So what exactly did Maddie say that sent you off the deep end?"

"Well, she started by cornering me and saying something about 'If you break Luke's heart I'm going to staple you to the wall, one fingernail at a time.' " Reid shuddered at the image, muttering, "Damned Colemans."

"But then she went on to regale me with the Biography of Luke Snyder (according to Maddie Coleman)," Reid continued. "I knew you guys interned together at WOAK, and that was where you met Noah, but I didn't realize that Noah was playing for the other team at the time."

Luke glared.

"Then she started in on what a great writer you were." Reid's voice started to take on a melodramatic sing-songy monotone. "How even your outlines could bring tears to her eyes. How you put your whole heart and soul into your writing. Yadda, yadda, yadda."

"That was a long time ago," Luke said quietly.

"Why'd you stop writing, Luke?"

"Well, for awhile, I focused all my writing on Noah's scripts..."

Reid rolled his eyes.

"...And then there was that fiasco with the election."

"The mighty Mr Mayer strikes again," Reid interrupted.

"Noah had nothing to do with the election," replied Luke, sitting back on his heels and shoving his hands deep into his pockets. His expulsion from Oakdale U was one of the least proud moments of his life, and he really didn't want to go into it with Reid, certainly not on Christmas.

"No, but your boyfriend narc'ed on you. That doesn't count as part of the fiasco?" replied Reid.

"How the hell do you know that?" asked Luke.

"Your friend Miss Stewart is also annoyingly chatty during post-op," said Reid. "Plus I happen to agree with Noah in this case – you were an idiot."

"Are you done insulting me?"

"Carry on."

"Well, at any rate," Luke continued, "Without school, I was lost for awhile. I started drinking..."

"I thought you don't drink."

"I don't, but back then, I was so low I wasn't really thinking."

"You drank with _your _kidney problems? You really were an idiot."

"Thanks for reminding me. At any rate, when things started picking up at the foundation, it gave me something to do. And then Damian had me so busy at Grimaldi, there just wasn't time. I started the script for Noah's senior project, but then Mason came into the picture and you know how _that _ended up." Luke finished with a noncommittal shrug.

"But you miss it," said Reid, mustering a bit more confidence than he actually felt.

Luke paused. He hadn't put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard creatively for over a year. He hadn't even thought about writing anything other than grant proposals and project memoranda. "I don't know if I miss it. I haven't really thought about it," Luke admitted. "Besides, even if I did, I can't just drop everything and leave for four weeks."

"Yes, you can," said Reid.

"Now I know you're insane," Luke retorted.

"Look, I've talked to Holden and Lily – they've agreed to handle the fundraiser details. And you said yourself that you were having a hard time feeling really involved at Grimaldi. They have an acting CEO – he can act a little longer. And I can handle most of the Pavilion planning issues – anything I can't handle will just have to wait until you get back. What, you think I can't handle that?"

Luke wasn't quite prepared for the comprehensiveness of Reid's plan. "I think I need to think about this," he said.

"Fair enough," said Reid.

Reid leaned forward so their faces were a mere few inches apart. "Luke, you have put your own life on hold for nearly three years now, first waiting for Noah, then waiting _on_ Noah. You've spent the last five months watching my back and taking care of all the hospital plans. Don't you think it's time you had some time for yourself? Go to the retreat, Luke. Maybe you'll find that all you really want to do is run the foundation. Maybe you'll find that your inner Luciano Grimaldi is just dying to get out."

"Hell, no!" Luke exclaimed.

"Just making sure you were paying attention," smiled Reid. "Look, Luke. Just go. If you find your inner muse, you'll walk away with two credits and some work in progress. And if you decide that you've outgrown writing, consider it an extended vacation. When was the last time you had a vacation?"

"This is a lot to take in," said Luke hesitantly. "I'm just not sure."

"You're gonna regret it if you don't go," Reid replied.

"I didn't say I wouldn't go. I'm just not mentally prepared to drop everything to go to Iowa," said Luke. "Speaking of which. Why Iowa?"

"Because they're one of the best. They had the right timing, and they're not some big city pretentious pop-lit snoozefest. I couldn't see you at a place like that."

"And the plane ticket? I could've taken one of the company planes."

"I know," said Reid. "But the guy who flies on the private jet," he added, putting on his best news anchor voice, "...is 'Luke Snyder,' only son of shipping magnate Damian Grimaldi, heir to the Walsh fortune...and neurosurgeon kidnapper."

Reid's voice returned to normal. "That Luke Snyder's not the guy who needs to go to Iowa. The Luke Snyder who needs to go to Iowa is just plain Luke, a regular guy who's spent way too much time thinking about other people, and not enough thinking about himself. Besides, a few hours spent in close sweaty quarters on a United puddle jumper will be good for your soul."

"My soul's just fine, thanks," said Luke.


	5. X

**Chapter 5: X**

The next week passed quickly. Reid did his best not to push Luke, though Luke did wake to find a lopsided outline of the state of Iowa drawn on the bathroom mirror with a styptic stick, a big star marking Iowa City. Reid had left him with a folder full of brochures plus all of his registration papers – including a copy of "his" application, which included an uncanny replica of his signature.

"Did you do this yourself?" asked Luke, pointing to the forgery.

"Why?"

"It's pretty good. I didn't think you were artistic."

"I'm a surgeon – I'm good with my hands," Reid replied.

"Oh, really?" asked Luke, eyebrows raised.

Reid replied with a bemused look, "What, you're requiring proof?"

Starting to smile, Luke asked, "How would that work exactly?"

"I could show you the secret handshake..."

* * *

The day after Christmas, Luke did find himself at Lily's babysitting. Holden had arrived just after dinner time to pick up the kids. Luke, Holden and Ethan had set up a giant wooden railway track that snaked its way around the couch and into the front entry way.

It was nearly 8:00 by the time Lily returned. It had taken her nearly all day to make her way through the packed crowds seeking post-holiday bargains. Her arms were buried in shopping bags and she nearly tripped over the omnipresent track on her way in.

"Hi, Luke, honey. Hi, Holden," Lily called. "How were the kids?"

"Fine," replied Luke. "Ethan hasn't stopped playing with his trains today, and Nathalie's nose won't stop running."

"Oh, yeah," replied Lily. "Sorry – I was in such a rush this morning I forgot to tell you about Nathalie. We have some herbal cold medicine for her upstairs. I'll go get it for you, Holden. Be right down." She grabbed an armful of bags and made her way up the stairs."

When she returned, she handed the bottle to Holden. "Just a teaspoon at bedtime, and in the morning," she said, but she cast him an unrelated and questioning glance. Holden shrugged his shoulders and looked at Luke.

Luke looked up from the floor where he and Ethan were tooting Thomas the Tank Engine. "What am I missing, here?" he asked.

Lily looked at Holden, who gave her a "go ahead, be my guest" look. She then turned to Luke and asked, "So, did you get anything special for Christmas?"

Luke's eyes narrowed. "Were you in on this?"

"In on what?" asked Holden with feigned innocence.

"Reid's big surprise trip to Iowa?"

"Oh yeah, that," said Holden. "Yeah, I guess you'd have to say we were in on it."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Luke.

"Reid wanted to surprise you. And he'd obviously thought a lot about it, and he made a good case," replied Holden.

"What he brainwash _you_ with?" asked Luke

"Look, sweetie," said Lily coming to sit by his side. "He's right. You've spent most of three years trying to work things out with Noah. And the transition from being Noah's ex to being with Reid wasn't exactly uncomplicated. And with the whole Damian situation thrown in there, Reid's right. You could use some time to yourself."

"You sound like you did before Dr. Creepy came along, wanting to send me to that psycho summer camp," said Luke. "What about what I want?"

Lily pulled back, hurt by the reminder. "Honey, I didn't want you to change then, and I don't want you to change now. But I do want you to be happy. And I think you need to stop and think about what will make you happy."

"What do you think, dad?" asked Luke.

"I don't think there's a lot of downside to taking a few weeks off. You won't have me or your mother on your case. Let us take care of the fundraiser and take some time for yourself," offered Holden, while Lily silently nodded her support. "Consider that part of our Christmas present to you. Worst comes to worst, if you hate it, you can always come home."

* * *

By Monday morning, Luke had started leaning towards going to Iowa, but he wasn't ready give Reid the satisfaction of having won him over so easily.

The offices at Grimaldi were fairly quiet, as most of the staff had put in for vacation days. Luke was still intermittently bewildered by Damian's unexpected departure, and his sudden ascent to "boss." He didn't trust Damian's business practices any more than he trusted Damian personally, so one of his first acts was to hire some staff he could trust. Lucinda had recommended Marcus Bainbridge, one of her former controllers who'd been tempted away by a better offer. Confident and competent, he reminded Luke a bit of Reid. Luke was able to entice him back to Oakdale, and he'd quickly become one of Luke's most trusted confidants at Grimaldi.

Midway through Monday morning, Marcus pulled Luke aside to remind him that accountants would be in the following week for the annual audit. They would be reviewing Grimaldi's accounts line by line for any discrepancies. Luke had given Marcus a similar charge for his first assignment. They'd uncovered a fair share of shadow companies and phantom accounts, and had quickly set about legitimizing them, so they were confident the audit would be uneventful, though time-consuming.

Luke was dreading the thought of spending three weeks reviewing accounts with the auditors , when Marcus asked, "Do you want me to handle it, Luke?"

Luke looked out his office window into the board room across the hall – the room that would be the auditors' prison while they were there. He didn't need to be asked twice. "I think I'd like that," responded Luke.

* * *

Thursday morning, Katie stopped by for brunch. Reid had run out to get more bagels while Luke started on his trademark blue cheese apple soufflé.

"So?" asked Katie.

"So, what?" replied Luke.

"So, have you decided if you're going?" pressed Katie.

"Did Reid put you up to this?"

"Oh, no," Katie lied, "I'm just...curious."

"He did, didn't he!" exclaimed Luke, mischievously, looking Katie squarely in the eye. "I wanna hear you swear upon Jacob's crib that he didn't."

"Oh, all right, he did," Katie conceded.

"I knew it!" said Luke gleefully.

"Well you don't have to be so happy about it," said Katie. "He's really starting to think he misjudged you."

"Did he tell you that?" asked Luke.

"No, but I can tell," she replied. "He really wants you to go."

"Why? Does he need space?"

"Reid?" asked Katie with surprise. "No way. But he thinks you do."

"I'm fine," said Luke.

"Why won't you go then?"

"Who said I wasn't going?"

"Does that mean you _are_ going?

Luke turned his eyes back to the eggs he was separating.

"You _are _going!" said Katie with an accusatory smile. "Why don't you tell him? You have to tell him!"

The front door opened, and Reid stepped in. "Tell me what?"

* * *

The following Sunday evening, Reid drove Luke to the Oakdale airport. After checking Luke's bags, they stopped at the TGI Friday's to pass the last half hour before Luke would have to head to his gate.

Neither had a name for the "something," they had started together; nor was either one willing to bring up the fact that this would be the first time they'd been apart for more than a few days since they acknowledged there definitively _was_ a something going on. So instead, they chatted about a million insignificant things – with Luke reminding Reid to pick up the dry cleaning, to leave money for the cleaning lady on Thursdays, and to tell the GC about relocating the visitor washrooms in the Pavilion plans, etc., etc.

As the waitress brought their bill, Reid glanced at his watch. "Six o'clock. We'd better get going to security."

"My flights not until 7:30," protested Luke. "We have tons of time."

"Luke, when's the last time you flew commercial?" asked Reid.

Luke paused to think about that. He'd flown commercial before, but it had been awhile. In fact, the last time he could actually remember was the camping trip to California that his dad planned. The Snyders always flew coach.

"It'll take at least 10 minutes to get to security from here, probably another 15-20 minutes to get through security, and then 10 minutes to walk to your gate from there. And you're supposed to be in the gate area an hour before your flight," Reid concluded. "We're cutting it close as it is."

He held out his hand and gave Luke's a little tug, pulling him up out of his seat. Reid skillfully navigated their way to the gate, gently dragging Luke along by the hand. Despite the fact that Luke had lived in Oakdale all his life, and Reid was a relatively recent arrival, Reid's knowledge of the Oakdale airport layout was clearly far superior. On top of a two-day conference in Albany, while Luke was visiting one of the Grimaldi subsidiaries in Virginia, Reid had gone back to Dallas a few times to arrange the closing on his condo and to make sure his things were properly packed up.

"Okay, here we are," announced Reid, stopping at the entrance to security.

"Oh goody," deadpanned Luke, eying the lengthy line.

"So..." began Luke, trying to sound casual. "You gonna miss me?"

The only thing Reid hated more than goodbyes were sappy goodbyes. He just couldn't bring himself to go down that path. Instead, he replied, "You're not going to call me every night, are you?"

Luke was a bit taken aback, but his pride refused to let him show it. "Nope, guess not," he said.

"Luke," Reid started, placing his hands on Luke's shoulders. "Take care of yourself. I mean it." Then he leaned forward planted a slow, lingering kiss on Luke's lips.

Luke closed his eyes and struggled to retain his senses so he could commit every warm sensation to memory. Several parents in the security line found convenient distractions for their kids ("hey look, that other girl has a Dora bag just like you!") while some other passengers turned away awkwardly.

When Reid finally pulled back, Luke opened his eyes to find the remaining passengers, who had been staring with vicarious admiration, rapidly averting their eyes and avoiding his gaze.

"See you in four weeks, Mr. Snyder," said Reid with a smile, before turning and walking away. Luke got in line and watched Reid's back as it disappeared in the crowd, touching his tongue to his lips to see if he could still salvage any taste of him.

* * *

The rest of the trip was uneventful. The small turboprop plane touched down just over an hour after departure, slightly delayed due to fog. Luke easily found a cab at the stand outside the small Iowa City Municipal airport. Darkness had fallen, but the occasional street lamps illuminated a landscape that reminded him a bit of the land around Oakdale.

The retreat was housed at a complex including a student center, conference center, and several resident cottages. Luke picked up his registration materials in the conference center lobby, and stopped by the student center for a soda before heading to his cottage.

The cottage was small, but well-designed. There was a large empty table with a laptop port and portable printer. The room had two oversized windows – one over the table, the other next to a comfortable reading chair.

Luke took the stack of clothes out of his bag and lay them out neatly his closet. After tossing his Dopp kit on the bathroom counter, he poured himself a glass of spring water from the complimentary bottle, and munched on the apple from his hospitality tray.

He pulled out his cell phone, and was about to instinctively hit speed dial 1, but then stopped. Reid had joked about not calling every night, and it had come across as one of those jokes with more than a grain of truth behind it. Tossing the phone on the table, he decided to try to get into the writing mood by doing some reading.

He dug into his messenger bag and found the novel he'd started. After trying to make himself comfortable in the reading chair, he decided it looked a lot more comfortable than it actually was. He still wasn't making any progress. After reading chapter two yet again, he glanced over to the phone on the desk.

Luke lay the book, open side down on the bed, and walked back to the phone. Picking it up, he texted: _Arrived, settled in my cottage. –L_

Reid had just arrived home and was midway through making a sandwich when he heard his phone chime. Moving aside the mustard and mayo jars in front of him, he made room for the phone and wrote back: _Glad you made it –R_

Luke smiled at the quick reply, and typed: _Miss me yet? _

Reid frowned and groaned to himself, "Oh god. What next? Sexting? Phone sex?"

Reid put the phone down and finished making his sandwich.

It was Luke's turn to frown. He picked up his phone and clicked on the messages menu just to make sure he hadn't missed anything. No new messages. Disappointed, he climbed onto the bed and tried to concentrate on his book.

Reid finished his sandwich and picked up the file for the next morning's surgery. He'd already reviewed it twice as many times as usual during the down week between Christmas and New Year's. It was a routine surgery and he was certain there was nothing left to glean. He looked across to the empty plate on the coffee table, realizing Luke would not be there in the morning to remind him to pick it up.

With a sigh, he placed his files back in his briefcase, put dishes in the dishwasher, and returned the sandwich fixins' to their proper homes. As he turned to leave the kitchen, he scooped up his cell phone and beeper off the now-empty kitchen table, and then briefly reached into his briefcase as he walked past.

In the dark, empty bedroom, Reid gently dropped the phone, the beeper, and the wad in his hand onto the night table by his side of the bed. He tossed his clothes in the corner and climbed under the covers. He lay on his back uncomfortably staring at the ceiling for ten minutes before turning on his side to face the empty bed. After another ten minutes of staring at Luke's pillow, Reid sat up.

He picked up his phone and quickly sent a text. Then he picked up the wad, unwrapped the tissue paper and neatly pressed it flat. He held the blue glass briefly, running his fingers along the smooth curves until it had warmed from his fingers. He lightly kissed the glass and placed it on top of the tissue paper. Then he lay back and took one last look at the glass before he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Luke was finally reading the last page of chapter two, again, when his phone chirped from its perch on the desk across the room. His heart involuntarily leapt hopefully. He told himself it was probably just his mom as he tentatively made his way across the room and picked it up.

_One new message._

Luke clicked on the messages button and read the new entry:_ X._

He smiled to himself and tossed the phone on the bed. Then, remembering one last thing he didn't want to forget, he made his way to the closet. He stripped down to his boxers and pulled out his oversized rollling bag. Luke unzipped the side pocket and pulled out a heathered gray Henley shirt. He'd seen it lying on top of the pile of laundry on Reid's side of the bedroom as he was packing, and had stuffed it in the side pocket of his bag just as Reid came in to tell him it was time to leave for the airport.

Luke put on Reid's shirt, put the cell phone in the chest pocket, and crawled into bed.


	6. Just Luke

**Chapter 6: Just Luke**

Monday morning, Reid woke up early as usual and set a pot of coffee brewing. He was used to spending his first half-hour in the mornings gathering his thoughts while Luke slept, but usually by the time he finished shaving Luke would be awake and the two would catch a few minutes together before Reid had to leave for morning rounds.

Sunday evenings, Luke usually did the grocery shopping, and this week, the basic staples had been forgotten in the hubbub of Luke's departure. Reid returned to the kitchen to find that they had run out of milk and the orange juice was to follow close behind. "Oh, great," Reid muttered to himself. He poured his uneaten Cocoa Puffs back into the box, smeared some cream cheese onto a bagel and left for work.

* * *

Luke's first programmed activity was a meet-and-greet coffee and continental breakfast at 8:00 am. He woke early and paced nervously for 20 minutes in anticipation of opening introductions. In the shower, he ran through what he might say: "Hello, my name is Luke Snyder. My family's loaded, I'm adopted, and I'm gay. One of my dads tried to kill the other and the other one was almost sent to jail for killing dad #1."

"Yeah, right," thought Luke.

"Hello, my name is Luke Snyder. I run a multi-million dollar foundation and am helping the world's most prominent neurosurgeon (who happens to have amazing hands) build the best surgical wing in the country."

"Meh."

As Luke pondered his options, he realized he had absolutely no interest in sharing his gory personal details with a roomful of strangers. Luckily, even with Holden's trumped up murder charges earlier in the year, the Snyder name was still relatively unknown outside of Oakdale, so Luke started to believe he might actually be able to feign anonymity.

So far, Reid had already been right about at least one thing: Luke was looking forward to being "just Luke." As he warmed to the idea, he thought through how he might word his intro, and finally gave up, letting the warm water trickle down his face.

It had snowed again over the weekend. The grounds crew had cleared most of the main paths on campus but drifts up to two feet deep covered the quadrangle between Luke's cottage and the conference center. The crisp air turned Luke's cheeks a bright pink as he made the 10-minute journey by foot.

Luke smiled at the few early risers making their way to classes at the early hour. Must be pre-meds, thought Luke, recalling that only his friends with early morning chem labs at Oakdale U had classes before 9:00. The memory made him wonder what Reid had looked like as a teenage pre-med student, and he entertained himself the rest of the walk trying to picture a younger, scrawnier Reid walking or cycling to class across the snowy landscape.

After scanning the message boards in the conference center lobby, Luke learned that the retreat would be based in the Mildred Wirt Benson Room, a corner conference room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Cedar River. Luke made his way up the escalator to the conference level, and found himself mingling with his soon-to-be classmates in the reception area at the top of the landing.

There were 10 names on the participant list included in Luke's registration packet. Luke silently played a game trying to match the names he could recall with the individuals gathering breakfast and milling around. Pushing his bag higher onto his shoulder, he poured himself a cup of coffee, balanced a Danish onto a small dish and made his way into the conference room.

Luke found a seat near one of the corners of the large square table. It gave him a clear view out the windows onto the river, but still allowed good eye contact with the leader's seat. Two others had already made their way in, and they each silently nodded their greetings and then turned back to their breakfasts, having selected their seats to maximize their ability to avoid engaging others.

* * *

The rest of the students made their way in, followed by the retreat leader at 8:25. He introduced himself as Alex Martin and gave a brief overview of the program. Each day would begin with a brief warm-up exercise. Then participants would have an opportunity to share their on-the-spot works or their previous assignments. Then there would be a discussion of the week's study topics, followed by a nightly assignment. The formal program ended at lunchtime, with the rest of the day allocated to independent writing time.

As Luke feared, the morning began with introductions. Alex began by introducing himself, and then each participant gave a brief introduction to themselves and why they were there. Luke only half-listened to their words as he continued to weigh his own response.

"Hi, my name is Tessa. I'm from Ann Arbor and I want more than anything to be a travel writer..."

"Um, my name is Trevor and I'm working on a spy novel..."

"I'm Bradley. I wrote my first novel in high school and studied with Seamus Heaney and Helen Vendler at Harvard. I'm working on my third novel now which integrates the ideas of Kafka and Nietzsche..."

By the time Luke's turn came, his mouth felt dry, despite numerous gulps of coffee (which were making the intros feel like they were taking much longer than they actually were). "Hi, my name is Luke and I _used_ to want to be a writer more than anything else. But then life got in the way. So I'm here to find my voice again."

"Thanks, Luke," said Alex, moving on to the twenty-something redhead beside him. Luke inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

The introductions took about a half hour, after which Marty brought out the quick writing assignment: _Look around the room and pick an object. Write one paragraph describing the object in full detail and a second paragraph explaining where it came from. Your response does not need to be couched in reality. Please write long hand. You have 15 minutes._

Luke looked around the room and felt like there weren't any interesting alternatives. How could anyone write two paragraphs about a whiteboard eraser? Or wastepaper basket? But then across the table, he spied one of his classmates wearing a men's watch with a wide leather strap. Luke had watched Reid fiddling with the strap on his similar watch countless times before and after surgery, so what details he couldn't see from his current vantage point, he was easily able to fill in. He picked up his pen began to write.

* * *

Fifteen minutes passed quickly, and Luke was pleased to see he had actually written two paragraphs that met the parameters of the assignment. Bradley was the first to volunteer his work to share (he wrote about his fountain pen), first reading it out loud and then sitting back to receive praise. The other participants slowly began with pleasant platitudes ("I liked the way you described the nib.") and slowly getting more analytical ("I didn't really buy that it was a thank you gift from Senator Stevenson.").

Four other samples were discussed, and Luke was relieved to hear that Tessa's piece was about his coffee cup. He had felt her staring across the table and wondered whether he had inadvertently left a jam smudge from his Danish on his face. Luke was surprised to hear his own voice joining the discussion, and was disappointed when Alex wrapped up the conversation and moved on to the week's topics.

The first week's topics were writing descriptions – both real and imagined. The first night's assignment was: _Write a description of a favorite place. There is no length limit. You can write it by hand, or you may use a laptop, or the computers in the tech center. See you tomorrow._

_

* * *

_

Luke joined a few others for lunch in the cafeteria before returning to his cottage. It was easy for him to think of a favorite place – it had to be Snyder Farm. He knew every inch of the farmhouse, all of the most beautiful vantage points, and the best secret hiding places on the property. When he returned to his cottage, he plugged his laptop in at the writing desk, and the words began to flow.

Memories flooded his senses as he tried to capture every sound, smell and nuance. Emma's kitchen. His old room. The stables and the hayloft. The battered bench on the porch. The old stump Holden used to split wood. Emma's rarely-operational tractor. The back garden. The pond.

He remembered the hot summer night when Noah had come to the farm for a swim in the pond. Their playful tug-of-war had ended with Noah balanced precariously balanced on top of him, their mostly naked bodies in close contact. Luke tried to recall the new-found tingle that went through his body as lurid visions overtook the schoolboy crush he'd been harboring for the prior month, but was surprised to find he couldn't recreate the sensation.

Instead, the memory that sent a shiver up his spine was a more recent smoldering summer night this past September. Indian summer had come for a visit and the air conditioning in Katie's house had gone on the fritz, sending Luke and Reid to the farm to escape the heat. Even the arrival of darkness did nothing to mitigate the oppressive heat and humidity. Luke had pushed Reid in (fully clothed), and Reid (after removing his watch) had managed to wrestle Luke in as well in short order. The two had made love under the moonlight and remained in the cool waters, while their clothes dried on the shore. Luke nestled in Reid's lap as they exchanged stories about their favorite childhood summers until the temperature dropped enough to make the rest of the night bearable.

Luke gave up pretending to write to give himself time to let the latest set of lurid visions clear — even if he wasn't planning on including his current line of thought in his writing, he found himself too distracted to concentrate on describing the farm.

The light was already starting to fade as the winter sun made its early retreat. Luke pulled out his cell phone and wondered whether it was too soon to call home. Though Reid had joked about calling every day, Luke knew Reid didn't expect him to go the whole four weeks without calling. But somehow it still felt too soon, so he tucked the phone back into his bag and made his way to the student center for a quick dinner.


	7. Carefree Again

**Chapter 7: Carefree Again**

It was already nearly 7:30 pm by the time Reid stopped for dinner, having spent two hours during the day grilling some of his residents on new surgical techniques and devices. He had given his assistant an urgent new research request on top of his regular duties, insisting that it be completed before end of day, and the resultant stack of articles sat on Reid's desk awaiting his attention.

Reid grabbed a sandwich at the hospital canteen and brought it back to his desk, letting the startled cashier know in no uncertain terms that he couldn't tell whether the "alleged Italian sub" he was holding was actually surrounded by bread or a bread-colored lump of wallpaper paste.

Back in his office, he tossed the plastic-wrapped sub on his desk and pulled out his top drawer to pull out his cell phone. _No new messages. _He dropped the phone back in the drawer and closed it, then opened his sandwich and started in on his reading.

* * *

Although Luke planned only to get a quick soup and salad before returning to his cottage, he ran into several of his classmates at the student center and they struck up a conversation about some of the places they'd decided _not_ to write about. Luke found he really enjoyed talking to people who didn't have any expectations of him in any way.

Darkness had long fallen by the time Luke returned to his room. Luke woke up his laptop and reread what he had written.

He smiled recalling countless evenings in Emma's family room spent doing homework, watching Noah's old movies on the VCR and playing games on the Xbox.

Luke remembered his first Christmas with Noah at the farm. Luke had felt invincible that night, showing off the secret he and Noah had been working on together – he had stood, for the first time since the disastrous hunting trip with Noah's father. Sitting on the porch bench later, Luke's euphoria only increased when Noah had presented him with a card to say "Thank you for never giving up on me, even when I pushed you away." Noah had signed the card, "Love, Noah," though Luke recalled wistfully that when he had gone on to declare his love under the mistletoe, the best Noah could manage was "Same here."

Then Ameera had come along. When Noah agreed to marry her to keep her safe, Luke had offered to write some words for Noah to stay at the ceremony. In hindsight, Luke wondered what possessed him to make that offer. As he stood outside in the garden at the farm, watching Noah and Ameera's wedding, Luke had felt a small piece of himself die, listening to Noah recite the words he himself had written for the ceremony: "I see in you the love that I am truly blessed to know, the life that I am sure we will be blessed to have together."

Luke laughed softly to himself, thinking back on the naïve young man who had written those words. He had really thought that he and Noah would be together forever. But even before Noah's fireworks accident they had grown far apart. Noah was focused on his filmmaking, so much so that it was easy for Mason to drive a deeper wedge between them. Luke had spent months blaming Mason, and then Noah pointed to Reid as the problem. But with several months' perspective, Luke realized that their relationship was already superficial by the time Mason and Reid came into the picture. Noah had hung onto Luke like a crutch – he was always there, familiar, his first and only lover.

But the differences in their priorities continued to push them apart. Noah dreamed of New York and Hollywood; when he got involved in a film, he wanted to focus wholly on the film – to the point of shutting Luke out of his work, and his life. On the other hand, Luke reflected, though Reid was similarly married to his work and hated distractions while working, he was able to separate his work from his personal life (once he had one). Though patients weighed heavily on his mind, he never let them distract him from his time with Luke. Reid always seemed to find time each day to compartmentalize his work obligations so Luke felt like he had Reid's undivided attention.

After Noah's surgery, neither Alison nor Maddie felt they could be available enough to help him with follow-up visits, so he moved back into the Farm, where Emma was able to keep him well-fed and the whole Snyder clan were able to take turns driving him to doctor's appointments and on errands.

One afternoon in early June, Luke, Noah, and Ethan were playing Chutes and Ladders on the kitchen table. Lily stopped by with some mail that had been lost in the mail-forwarding shuffle when Noah moved out. It had an original postmark date in April, as well as a yellow forwarding request sticker which was crossed out, and a handwritten note with Lily's address on it.

Luke looked on curiously as Noah ripped open the over-sized envelope and pulled out its contents. Noah's face took on a bewildered look that was half-smile, half-panicked.

"Noah, what's wrong," Luke asked.

"I'm still not good at reading small print," Noah replied hesitantly. "Do you mind reading it to me to make sure I read it right?"

Luke smiled obligingly and took the letter away. He glanced at it and frowned. Lily raised a questioning eyebrow as Luke began to read:

_Dear Mr Mayer:_

_ We wanted to thank you for your application. We have reviewed your materials including your sample film and are pleased to offer you a place in the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, beginning September 2010._

_ Based on the quality of your submission, you are being considered for a scholarship. Enclosed in this package are financial aid details. When your senior project is completed, please submit two copies in DVD format (one to USC SCA Admissions, one to the Department of Financial Aid) on or before May 15__th__. Late submissions will not be eligible for scholarship assistance.  
_

_ Your place will be held until May 31__st__; if you have not accepted at this time, your place will be offered to a candidate on our extensive waiting list.  
_

_ We look forward to welcoming you to Los Angeles._

_Sincerely,_

_Jonas Williams  
Director of Admissions  
USC School of Cinematic Arts_

"Oh my god! Noah! That's amazing!" Lily gushed.

"That's awesome, Noah," agreed Luke, though the first question which came to mind was: "When did you apply? What did you..."

"Stop!" Noah interrupted, shutting them both down. "Didn't you hear what the letter said? I had to respond by last week. They've already given my place away. It's too late."

Luke stopped his own line of questioning and responded kindly, "Noah, you were in a serious accident and were blind. If they can't make an exception for that, they really have no hearts."

"Easy for you to say," said Noah. "You haven't just had your dreams shattered."

Luke smiled to himself sadly. A month or two before he would have disagreed. A month or two before he too would have been devastated, as Noah had applied to film school in California without telling him. But things had changed. Now, all Luke wanted was to help Noah achieve his dreams.

"Look, Noah. I can be very persuasive when I put my mind to it. I managed to get Dr. Oliver here to do your surgery, didn't I?" asked Luke.

"Don't you mean 'Reid'?" Noah shot back.

"Noah, don't give up and let me see what I can do."

Lily placed a gentle hand on Noah's shoulder as Luke grabbed his bag and his phone and set off.

Luke returned a few hours later. Noah had fallen asleep on the couch, and Lily was making dinner in the kitchen. "Any luck?" she asked.

"Shhh..." smiled Luke.

He crept into the family room and sat down quietly next to Noah. Luke placed a hand on Noah's arm and gently shook him. "Noah, wake up. It's me."

"Here," Luke added, thrusting a small paper bag at him.

Not quite fully awake yet, Noah looked at him quizzically.

"Open it," Luke prodded.

Noah opened the paper bag and pulled out a maroon T-shirt. On the front was emblazoned the USC logo. He broke out into an enormous smile. "Does this mean what I think it means?" he asked.

Luke nodded, smiling.

"Really?" asked Noah.

"Mm hmm," confirmed Luke.

"_Really?_" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah," said Luke smiling back. "Really."

"Oh my god, Luke, I love you!" cried Noah, giving him a big bear hug.

"Yeah, I know," said Luke laughing.

"I can't believe you managed to get me in. You didn't blackmail the dean, did you?"

"No. In fact, I didn't need to do much to convince them. I had the tech guys at the Foundation FTP the working copy of your senior project to admissions and financial aid. Once I explained your situation and they reviewed your film, they took care of the rest. It helped that they hadn't sent out their wait-list invitations yet, so they were still able to squeeze you in."

"Luke, I can't believe you did this for me."

"You know I'd do anything for you, Noah."

"Yeah, I know," said Noah, looking down. "Thank you," he added softly.

"You're welcome," said Luke.

There was an awkward silence. "I'm just gonna go check on dinner..." Luke began.

"No, wait," Noah stopped him. "About your question earlier..."

"You don't need to explain."

"Yes, I do. I sent in my application in November. It was Mason's idea – he thought I actually had a shot to get in. I wanted to tell you, but you were so down on Mason at the time, I just couldn't. I'm sorry, Luke. You know that all my life I've wanted to make films, and USC is the best..."

"I know, Noah," said Luke softly. "And so are you. You're gonna do great there."

Whereas before Noah's surgery Luke would have been distraught that Noah had gone behind his back with plans to leave Oakdale, now he just felt a little disappointed that Noah had thought so little of their relationship.

"You just better get me an invite to your first red carpet premiere," said Luke, smiling.

* * *

Noah's excitement eventually overwhelmed the awkwardness between the two, and the rest of Noah's stay had been filled with packing, food fights, and occasional melancholy reminiscing. By July, Noah was out of danger and sufficiently recovered to live on his own again. He managed to find himself an internship with on-campus housing privileges, and had moved West to begin his new life.

Noah's last few weeks at the Farm reminded Luke of their first few months together – before Noah's dad came into the picture and they began their endless cycle of breaking up and getting back together. Luke felt more carefree than he had in years, and with each day, the painful memories of the Farm faded, leaving him with just the warm feelings he associated with childhood days spent eating Emma's brownies and playing wiffle ball in the back garden.

Luke finished his assignment and thought about sending Reid an email, but decided against it. Luke rarely sent Reid personal emails as Reid rarely read his email, having his assistant respond to most messages on his behalf. Instead, Luke sent a quick text: _Just finished my first piece (on the Farm). Turning in. 'Night. - Luke_

'_Night yourself -R_


	8. Two Mary Sues and a Medium Diet Coke

**Chapter 8: Two Mary Sues and a Medium Diet Coke**

Reid was annoyed with himself. He had worked so late the night before he'd overslept. Normally on mornings when he would be in surgery he liked to be awake by 4:30 am to give himself plenty of time to do a final case review. But last night, he had stayed in the office until nearly 10:00 pm before heading home, and then had to stop at the Split Second on the way home to get milk and orange juice.

Back in Dallas he routinely worked until 10 or 11 o'clock at night, and he had never overslept. But then again, Reid reminded himself, in Dallas it had been easy to just fall in bed, turn off his brain, and go to sleep. The prior night, he had come home, talked to his blue piece of glass for 5 minutes, and then lain in bed, tossing and turning until nearly midnight before getting up for a cold shower. And even then, it took yet another 20 minutes before sleep finally found him.

He awoke cranky and groggy. As he padded his way into the kitchen, he found nearly half a pot of cold coffee left over from the previous morning as he had not thought to adjust the amount he made. Short of time, he put the entire carafe into the microwave, hurried into the shower and shaved and dressed quickly. He poured half the coffee into an over-sized travel mug, and the balance into a WOAK mug. He grabbed a plain bagel out of the fridge and ripped off a large bite which he tried to wash down with a big gulp of coffee, burning his mouth in the process. "Goddammit!" he muttered, and quickly made his way to the car.

Driving to the hospital, he realized he'd left the travel mug at home. Cursing again, he took a deep breath and began focusing on the brain _du jour_. Epilepsy patient. Rivera. Age 32. Seizures. Routine procedure. Anteromedial temporal resection. As he started to walk himself through the procedure, he calmed down. By the time he reached the hospital, he was back on schedule and ready to go.

"Good morning, Dr Oliver," chirped his scrub nurse.

"It is? It's morning," Reid replied. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

As joint directors of the Snyder Pavilion project, Luke and Reid regularly weekly with various constituents and contractors on Tuesday evenings. On this week's agenda were the general contractors, the interior decorators, and a Parkinson's support group.

The GCs arrived first, around 4:00 pm. The project was slipping because they had encountered unexpected delays getting sufficient water pressure to the top floor patient rooms. Reid blasted the GCs for the delays, asking if they'd received their training from Bob the Builder then summarily dismissed them from the meeting.

The interior decorator didn't fare much better. The agenda covered the selection of sconces for the hallways, furniture and decorations for the family and friends waiting area, and the reception area layout. Reid cut them off mid-presentation and demanded to see the available options. He spent a total of eighty seconds reviewing the choices, pointed to his selections, and was about to dismiss them as well, when he recalled how much the reception and waiting areas meant to Luke. As the designers were packing up their portfolios, Reid managed to stop them. "Wait, don't go making any rash decisions. Mr. Snyder will be back at the end of the month. Can any of these decisions wait until then? If not, email me the choices and I'll forward them on."

Reid paused for a break. He'd been at the hospital nearly non-stop since Monday morning, so he walked to the nearest Japanese restaurant to get a break. The hostess seated him at the sushi bar where he and Luke usually sat, and the chef began work on his order before he'd even received a menu.

"Where's Sunny Boy?" asked Toshi the sushi chef. He'd taken to calling Luke "Sunny" because the first time they'd come in together, Luke smiled so much he practically shone.

"He's away," replied Reid.

"Away? For how long?"

"A few weeks," said Reid.

"A few weeks? How're you going to manage?"

"I'll manage just as I managed for 30-some years before Luke Snyder came along," Reid snapped.

"Touchy, touchy, aren't we Doctor-San?"

Reid glared at Toshi but then his expression softened. "You're not catching the fish back there are you? I've got to get back to a meeting."

"Coming right up."

Toshi finished preparing Reid's order and handed it over the counter just as the waitress brought his miso soup and green tea. Reid neatly unfolded his napkin and removed his chopsticks from their paper sleeve. He still couldn't understand how Luke had reached adulthood without learning to use chopsticks. He smiled remembering how Luke typically speared his sushi with one of the chopsticks, and then precariously balanced the piece on the second chopstick.

A few times Luke had gotten so frustrated that he had resorted to using his fingers, stuffing pieces in his mouth wholesale. Once he'd offered Reid a piece, which he took, rolling his eyes at Luke's lack of table etiquette. But Luke had let his fingers linger on Reid's lips on the way out, willing him to lick off the wasabi and soy sauce left behind. Reid had decided then and there that perfect use of foreign cutlery was not such a high priority and put up even less mock resistance when Luke offered him a second piece.

As much as he complained about the second-rate sushi in Oakdale, Reid had to admit, that Toshi's was no worse than most of the sushi shacks in Dallas, with neither holding a candle to the better places in Boston.

"You want anything else, Doctor-San," Toshi asked? "How about one of Sunny Boy's favorites?"

"All right, Tosh, you talked me into it," Reid acquiesced.

"Yoshiko!" Toshi called. "Can you please get a green tea ice cream for Dr. Oliver?"

* * *

Reid finished his dinner and returned to the hospital for his final meeting. During the walk back, he tried to remember how Luke had managed similar meetings in the past. Reid rarely paid attention to the detailed discussions as his own natural inclination was to tell them all to take a hike and be grateful for whatever was being offered to them.

More often than he'd care to admit, though, Reid found himself oblivious to the discussion, but mesmerized watching Luke as he spoke to the seemingly endless stream of bleeding hearts seeking his attention. He watched with admiration as Luke listened patiently and attentively to each person who came their way, hearing their stories, needs and concerns. He "bonded" with just about everyone – young and old, able and infirm.

Imagining how Luke would handle the meeting, Reid chuckled as he counseled himself to "remember your mantra."

Two women from the Parkinson's foundation had come to discuss the design of facilities and asked about accommodations made to allow patients to be self-sufficient when receiving extended in-patient treatments. In particular, they were concerned about things like minimizing the walk between patient rooms and treatment facilities, making sure that doors and handles weren't too stiff and difficult to operate, etc. Reid did his best to concentrate and be empathetic, taking notes as they spoke, listening to their concerns for nearly 45 minutes before he hit his limit and politely drew the meeting to a close.

After the women left, Reid retreated to his office and shut the door. He pulled out his cell phone and texted:

_Just spent 45 __min w/2 Mary Sues from the PF. You owe me. –R_

Luke was just finishing his "description of a person you admire" (he'd chosen to write about Lucinda) when the text arrived. He laughed out loud when he read it and texted back:

_I'm proud of you ;) – Luke x_

_

* * *

_

By Wednesday evening, Reid couldn't avoid it any more. He'd run out of underwear and socks, and the pile of laundry was threatening to engulf his side of the bedroom. Resignedly, he left work at a decent hour (5:30 pm) and returned home to his domestic duties.

While waiting for the loads to finish, Reid had pizza delivered and tried watching the local news. He tried to remember the last time he had been home that early in the evening and couldn't. He marveled at how the "news" had become a bunch of puff pieces on celebrities and botox sandwiched between the weather report and box scores.

As he pulled the first load out of the dryer, he tossed his wrinkle-free button-up shirts onto the back of the couch to keep them from crumpling. With Luke away, it didn't seem worthwhile to bother hanging them up. He was about to toss his favorite shirt – a maroon-ish shirt with a color-on-color pattern – on the couch with the others when he did a double-take.

He had been wearing the shirt last week when one of them (Reid couldn't for the life of him remember which one) had challenged the other to a race to see who could undo the other one's shirt buttons first – using only his thumb and index finger. Reid had thought Luke had won, fair and square, but now, as he took a closer look at his shirt, he realized the little bastard had cheated – the bottom two buttons on his shirt had been ripped off.

* * *

Katie had just finished putting Jacob to bed when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Katie," came the voice on the other end of the line. "I need you."

"_Reid?" _asked Katie disbelievingly. "Have you been possessed by aliens?"

"No, seriously, Katie," Reid continued, "Can you stop by?"

"Now?"

"Sure, why not? You got something better to do?"

"Oh all right. I'll be right over. I'll call you right back if Chris has other plans for tonight."

"What other plans could Dr Doogie have?"

Katie arrived 15 minutes later. "What's the emergency?"

"I need help," said Reid, holding up his shirt.

"You want me to give me your shirt?" asked Katie innocently.

"No, I need you to fix it."

"Come again?" asked Katie.

"It has two buttons missing," said Reid, trying put on his best Luke lost puppy dog face.

"Two?" asked Katie, suspiciously. "How'd you manage to lose two without noticing it?"

Reid dodged the question. "Aw, c'mon Katie. Please?"

"Reid! I'm not sewing your buttons on for you!"

"Katie!"

"However, I will take you out to buy a needle and thread and some spare buttons," she declared. "And I'm taking you to a movie. You're pathetic, Reid. If you wanted company, you could have just asked!"

"It's not gonna be some drippy chick flick, is it? 'Cause I don't do chick flicks."

"Don't worry. There's a new Matt Damon_/Bourne_ picture out," she said, tossing him his coat.

The last movie Reid had gone to was Luke's idea. Luke had talked him into seeing the latest sci-fi blockbuster. "A large popcorn and a medium Diet Coke, please," Luke had requested, as Reid had gone off in search of seats.

They shared the popcorn as they watched the on-screen government scientists scurrying to uncover the mystery behind electromagnetic anomalies occurring worldwide. Luke unconsciously fiddled with his straw, silently bouncing it up and down, drawing it in and out of the lid on his soda. During one of the movie's few daylight scenes he noticed Reid staring at him and an idea started forming in his mind.

Luke pulled the straw a few more inches out of the cup and let the end rest against his tongue, mouth slightly open. He slowly circled the tip of the straw with his tongue before gently closing and opening his lips. Then he pressed his teeth lightly against the straw and slowly pushed it slightly in and then out of his mouth. He repeated the motion several times, while Reid shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Luke smiled to himself and closed his lips around the straw again, this time drawing it in and out of his mouth, gently sipping his soda. Out of the corner of his eye, Luke saw Reid frown and bend forward, removing his beeper from his belt. Reid replaced the beeper then leaned over so his lips brushed Luke's ear as he gruffly said, "I need to get going. Now."

Luke gave Reid a mock disappointed look as he pushed his straw back into his drink. Reid led Luke across the row and up the aisle, ignoring the bewildered stares of the other movie watchers who wondered who on earth would be crazy enough to leave _before_ the aliens attacked.

They walked to the car and Reid started the engine. A few minutes later, as they drove past the rural roads leading away from downtown Oakdale, Luke looked around disorientedly. "I thought we were going to the hospital."

"I said I had to leave." replied Reid. "But who said anything about going to the hospital?" Reid removed his pager and showed Luke the blank display.

Reid pulled over into the nearest secluded driveway and put the car in park. "Enjoy your soda, Mr. Snyder?" he asked.

Luke glanced up mischievously and gave Reid his best lopsided smirk.

Reid leaned over Luke's lap and swiftly pulled on a lever, pushing Luke's seat back as far as it would go. Then he climbed over the center barrier and straddled Luke's hips. With a devilish tilt of the eyebrow, he said, "Well, now it's payback time..."

* * *

When Katie dropped Reid back at the house, she tossed him a small bag containing a needle, thread and buttons, saying, "You're a surgeon. Just pretend they're sutures."

Reid glared.

Katie stopped at the door before leaving and turned around to face him. "You haven't told him you miss him, have you?"

Reid tried to glare even harder.

"You've already told him you love him. Why is this so hard?" she asked. "Stop being such a big baby." Then she stepped back in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out.

As she got into her car, she pulled out her cell phone and flipped through her photo album until she found the photo she'd taken of Luke and Reid at the Hughes's Labor Day barbecue. She forwarded a copy to both Luke and Reid with the message:_ Anything you two need to say to each other?_


	9. Awakenings

**Chapter 9: Awakenings**

Thursday afternoon after surgery, Reid returned home for a quick shower and lunch before afternoon rounds. Stepping out of the shower, he realized he had pulled out some shirts the previous evening, but had left everything else in the washer and dryer when Katie dragged him to the movies.

Wrapping a towel around his waist, he made his way into the laundry room, and shoveled the rest of the crumpled load from the dryer into a laundry basket before moving the wet clothes from the washer into the dryer. He picked up the basket and brought it back into the bedroom to get dressed. After fishing out a pair of boxers, he dug through the basket looking for a shirt and frowned.

He walked back into the laundry room and dug through the wet clothes in the dryer and frowned again. He returned to the bedroom and picked up his cell phone and texted:

_Have you seen my gray shirt? I just did laundry and didn't see it._

Luke, who was having coffee with some classmates, blushed when he saw the message and texted back: _You did laundry?_

Reid replied: _ My shirt?_

Not wanting to lie, Luke decided he had to 'fess up. _I have it here with me._

Reid wasn't sure what he expected Luke to reply, but that was not it. He stared at his phone for a moment before replying, _Why?_

Having started on the honesty path, Luke wrote: _ To remind me of you. _ Then he stared at his phone expectantly.

Reid stared at his phone for awhile before finally writing: _I miss you, too. – R_

_

* * *

_

Luke's companions had stopped mid-conversation to watch his text exchange. The expressions on Luke's face changed alternately from embarrassed to mischievous to downright goofy and they were all dying to know the story behind them. Luke tried desperately to avoid eye contact without completely being rude and turning his back. After receiving Reid's final text, he then directed his efforts at squelching the enormous grin that was threatening to take over his entire face.

He made a big show of digging through his bag and putting the phone back in the zippered side compartment along with some of the notes he'd had out on the table.

"Um, yeah," Luke finally managed. "So, how about today's assignment?"

The others cast knowing glances at each other, but caught the hint.

"It seems like a cakewalk compared to yesterday's," said Trevor. "I don't really have anyone I admire. My boss is a sleazebag, my wife's an old fusspot, and my parents are duller than dirt."

"Me too," agreed Tessa. "I had to resort to my dad. Your Aunt Lorinda sounds pretty cool, though, Luke. You're lucky to have her."

Luke smiled to himself. He did feel lucky. Lucinda had always gone to bat for him. She had even forgiven him for the Brian fiasco. After Brian kissed him, Luke had wanted to crawl into a deep hole in the ground . Every inch of him ached with betrayal, even though he'd done nothing to encourage Brian's advances. Then when Noah wouldn't believe him, he'd gotten drunk and kissed Brian, full well knowing how much it would hurt Lucinda.

Luke was amazed at the dignity with which Lucinda handled Brian's outing. When Brian had asked for a second chance, she'd shown him the door. Granted, it wasn't easy for her to see Luke again the first time after Brian's departure. But eventually she'd thawed and once again both looked forward to their monthly dinners together.

The first time she'd heard about Luke's relationship with Reid was shortly after Noah's surgery. She recalled that Luke had asked for her help when Dr. Oliver's license was at risk, but at the time, he was merely Noah's doctor.

A few weeks later, Lily had come to her, ranting about how Luke was vulnerable and getting involved with an older man (and a particularly unpleasant one, at that), with a serious conflict of interest. At their next monthly dinner, she took the opportunity to fully grill Luke on the circumstances.

Though Lucinda could see right through him, she always accepted him as he was. When Luke sought out her help in getting Reid reinstated, he had reluctantly explained how Reid had arrived in Oakdale, thanks to Damian's machinations. So now, Luke explained how he had started to see Reid differently when he had stepped up for Holden. By then he'd already figured out that Reid's snarky bedside manner was just an act, and their time together in Dallas convinced him – Luke mentioned Reid's testimony about Annie and how he obviously really did care and feel, despite his rude and obnoxious front – though he left out the part about the kiss.

Then Luke went on to describe how Reid had bluntly announced he had "feelings" for him. At this, Lucinda raised an eyebrow. "I like a man who doesn't pussyfoot around," she interjected. "Does he have a brother?"

"Grandma!"

"And you, how about you, sweetheart?" Lucinda had asked, "How do you feel?"

"I dunno," Luke replied. "I'm not used to thinking about how _I_ feel. I've spent the last three years worrying about how Noah feels, whether he wants to be with me, what he wants, what he needs. I'm not sure _what_ I'm feeling, but whatever it is, it feels really good. I feel like I can be myself and that's okay. I don't feel like I'm walking on eggshells all the time. I feel like I'm being taken seriously, like he listens to me when I have something to say. Of course, if I come up with something that's bull, Reid'll call me on it, but that's okay."

"So what do you think about Dr. Reid Oliver?"

"He's smart and he's honest…"

"Mm hmm…,"Lucinda prompted him to continue.

"He pushes my buttons, but he makes me laugh and he makes me think…about things I never thought about or even realized I wanted to think about."

"And…"

"He makes me feel invincible. Like I can do so much more than I've ever done."

"And…"

"And sometimes he seems..." Luke trailed off, looking for the right words. "Sometimes he seems sad. He's devoted his whole life to his career and making others better. And he's _so _good at that, but I feel like there's this emptiness inside him that he won't admit to. And it makes me want to..."

"Want to..."

Luke shrugged, not quite ready to put his feelings into words, though just talking about Reid was making his heart race.

"So…?" Lucinda paused dramatically, "Do you have the hots for him?"

"Grandma!" Luke protested, rolling his eyes. He tried to hide his grin, but his head-to-toe blush answered the question without any words.

Luke tried to change the subject: "I know he can come off as arrogant and a jerk, but that's just an act. He _is_ great at what he does. He's confident and he doesn't suffer fools. Sound like anyone else we know…_grandma_?" Luke placed extra emphasis on the last word.

Lucinda had to smile. "So when do I get to meet Mr. Always Right?" she asked.

* * *

A week later, Luke and Reid joined Lucinda for dinner at home. When Reid walked in, Lucinda took no pains to hide the fact that she gave him a complete once-over.

"So this is the great Doctor Reid Oliver," she began, extending her hand for a handshake, and making full-on eye contact.

Reid didn't shy away. "And you must be the incomparable Lucinda Walsh," he returned. With a grain of salt, he turned on the charm, returned her gaze and gently kissed the back of her hand, before he finally broke the eye contact.

Luke looked from one to the other with amusement.

Not fooled, Lucinda nevertheless smiled, "Won't you come in, Dr. Oliver." She ushered them into the sitting room where she poured herself a bourbon. Reid accepted one as well, as Luke helped himself to a glass of seltzer water.

Reid was already beginning to see why Luke spoke so highly of Lucinda and he wondered how she and Lily could be related. Of course, Luke hadn't yet shared the whole sordid story of Iva and Josh, so little did Reid know how close he was to the truth.

For 20 minutes, Lucinda peppered Reid with questions on his medical practice, his research, and his priorities for the new surgical wing. Luke had watched Reid make several presentations on these topics to the Foundation, the medical licensing board, and to the hospital's board of directors, so he mentally tuned out of the discussion.

Instead, Luke sat back and enjoyed the banter between the two. Rarely had he seen someone go toe-to-toe with Lucinda and he could tell she was impressed. Lucinda skillfully maintained the discussion's momentum, and while Reid wouldn't have described himself as "enjoying" the conversation, he appreciated Lucinda's ability to sustain their verbal rally.

"So, tell me, Dr. Oliver," paused Lucinda. "What little demons drove you to become the 'world's top neurosurgeon?' "

It took a few moments for the question to penetrate Luke's reverie and he realized he didn't know the answer, so he tuned back in, eager to hear the response himself.

Reid generally didn't like to talk about his personal life, especially to virtual strangers, but even he was finding it hard to resist Lucinda's line of questioning: "When I was nine, my mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. We couldn't afford a special facility or home care, so my father spent all his free time trying to take care of her. There wasn't much for me to do, so mostly I just read all the time. _Hardy Boys_, _National Geographic_, the yellow pages. Really, anything I could get my hands on."

He continued: "When I was 11, one of my teachers recommended Oliver Sacks's _Awakenings..."_

"As in the Robin Williams movie?" asked Lucinda.

"Yeah," replied Reid. "Though De Niro falling for the blonde hottie was a load of crap."

Lucinda smiled and nodded for him to continue.

"But the Ouija board, smelling the flowers, the cards – incredible, but real." Reid continued. Luke recognized the look on Reid's face, the tone of his voice: he had first seen it when they were trapped in the Lakeview elevator and Reid had become entranced describing how the brain was responsible for everything from the Sistine Chapel, to _The Godfather _and love. Luke's heart did a little flip-flop.

Reid continued: "When I first read it, I didn't understand all the medical jargon. But it made me aware of how amazing and complex the brain is – and that something could be done for people with the most profound conditions. I couldn't do anything for my mother, but I thought I might be able to help someone else."

At this point, Matthew, who'd come in silently a few moments before, softly cleared his throat to let them know that Rosa had dinner ready.

Over dinner, the conversation turned lighter and stayed that way; Luke rejoined the conversation as they covered everything from WorldWide's luxury box at Wrigley Field to Katie and Chris's show on WOAK. To his surprise, Reid found that he was indeed enjoying himself. Even small talk with Lucinda Walsh wasn't so bad as she was a sharp observer of all things and was not afraid of pulling punches. He smiled easily as Luke beamed silently to himself.

At the end of the meal, they adjourned to the sitting room and Matthew brought out coffee and desserts. Taking her coffee, Lucinda leaned back on the end of the couch, crossed her legs, and turned her keen and skeptical eye to Reid.

"All right, Dr. Oliver," she began. "So what are your intentions towards my grandson?"

Luke shot daggers at her, shrank into the couch, and wished he could will himself to disappear.

Reid was unperturbed. He leaned as far forward as he could and looked her straight in the eye, before replying: "Frankly, Mrs. Walsh, It's none of anybody's damned business what is or is not going on between Luke and me."

Lucinda raised an eyebrow and Luke stifled a snicker.

"But," Reid continued, "Since you ask, and since Luke respects you so much and in so very many ways, I don't mind telling you that I care a lot about him. I've seen the lengths he goes to for the people he loves, the kind of man he is. Trust me. I'm not going anywhere. I made a promise to Bob Hughes when we decided to go ahead with the Snyder Pavilion, so I'll be around in this godforsaken town long after Luke decides how he feels about me, and whether or not he wants to ride off into the sunset with Noah Mayer."

Lucinda searched Reid's eyes for any hint of artifice and seemed satisfied.

"Helloooow?" Luke interjected, deciding it was safe to sit up straight again. "Remember me, I'm here! Would you two please stop talking about me like I'm not in the room?"

"Sorry, darling," said Lucinda. "Was there something you wanted to say?"

Both Lucinda and Reid turned to him expectantly.

Put on the spot, Luke suddenly found he was fascinated with some loose threads on the right knee of his jeans. His mind raced as he tried to think of something to say, but the best he could manage was a sheepish "Um…grandma, I'd rather not go there right now."

This time Lucinda raised an eyebrow at him. But she always had a soft spot for Luke, so she let him off the hook. "Well, then, Dr. Oliver," she said. "I take it your obligations to Dr. Hughes must keep you quite busy."

Reid took the hint, "They do. In fact, I have some protocols I need to review before tomorrow morning. I'd better get going. Luke, do you want a ride?"

"No," he replied. "I've got my car here."

"Okay, suit yourself," Reid said. "See you tomorrow."

Luke nodded.

"I'll walk you to the door," Lucinda announced.

As Reid stood in the doorway, Lucinda softly touched him on the arm to stop him; Reid turned to see what she wanted. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Oliver," she said, extending her hand.

Reid took her hand and they shook. "Likewise," he said.


	10. Chippendales and Bill Gates

_**A/N: **__I have only seen highlights from the election storyline, so if I'm messing up canon, someone please let me know. Thanks!_

_

* * *

_**Chapter 10:**** Chippendales and Bill Gates**

Luke made his way back towards his cottage, talking and joking with his new-found friends. Their relationship reminded him a little of being in summer camp – no strings, no baggage, no adult responsibilities to think about. The group chatted regularly about everything from favorite music, to who they were cheering for in the _Amazing Race_, to the secrets of making the perfect hamburger.

Most of the group bade farewell at the last fork in the path. Darkness was falling, and the campus was emptying out, so Luke offered to walk Tessa back to her cottage. They walked along quietly before Tessa finally broke the silence. "So, was that your girlfriend you were texting?"

"Girlfriend?" asked Luke. "No. Definitely_ not _my girlfriend."

"Really?" asked Tessa. "You don't have a girlfriend?"

"No, I definitely don't have a girlfriend," Luke confirmed.

Tessa turned away as she smiled a little smile. Luke was watching his breath make patterns in the dim light and didn't notice.

They walked silently for a few more minutes before arriving at Tessa's cottage. "Wanna come in for a cup of coffee, or a soda?" she asked.

Luke thought about the night's assignment.

"I'll throw in a couple of Oreos," Tessa added.

Luke acquiesced: "Oh all right, I guess a few Oreos won't kill me."

"Great," said Tessa."What would you like – I've got coffee, decaf, tea, a couple of Sam Adams, Diet Coke, and I suppose you could have milk if you want it."

"Mm," said Luke, "Milk and Oreos - I don't think I've had that combination in 10 years. Sold." Luke dropped his bag by the door, pulled out the desk chair and sat down facing the back of the chair.

"Coming right up," said Tessa, breaking open the Oreo package.

"So what made you want to be a travel writer, Tessa?"

"I dunno," she replied. "I've lived all my life in Ann Arbor. I've barely been out of the state, and never out of the Midwest. I'm sick of flat landscapes and strip malls. I want to see the world – everything it has to offer – the Hollywood sign, the Egyptian pyramids, the Parthenon. Petra, the Ayutthaya Buddha and Tokyo's Kappabashi Market. The Eden Project, the Mosta Church in Malta, the Kremlin, and…."

"Okay, okay, I get it," said Luke, cutting her off as politely as he could. "That's quite a list!"

"Doesn't it sound divine?" she asked.

Luke had been only half-listening to the list, but the mention of Mosta Church brought back unpleasant memories of being trapped with Holden in Malta.

"Hello, earth to Luke?" Tessa sing-songed. "You in there? All of a sudden you got this sad look on your face. You okay?"

"Yeah," Luke replied. "I was just remembering a bad experience."

"At one of those places?" Tessa asked, "Have you been? What was it like?"

"Mm," Luke added." I'm not really much of an adventurer. I only travel when I have to. Otherwise I'd much rather stay home."

"What's so special about home? Let me guess, you're from New York City!"

Luke shook his head.

"Las Vegas?"

Luke shook his head again.

"Miami?"

Luke shook his head again. "No, I'm just from a small Midwest town like you."

"Really?" asked Tessa. "Why _wouldn't_ you want to get away then?"

Luke said the first words that came mind, "My family" but the picture that filled his head was Reid's.

"You must have _some_ family! My parents completely freaked on me when I said I wanted to be a writer. They were sure I'd end up starving in a ditch because I dropped accounting to get my English degree."

"Yeah, well, at least you got your degree," Luke said.

"You didn't finish your degree?" Tessa asked.

"Nah," said Luke.

Luke tried to physically shake away the feeling that always overtook him when the subject of college came up.

"Do you want to talk about it," asked Tessa. She got up from the reading chair and sat down on the end of the bed across from Luke and leaned forward to hear his story.

Luke was surprised to hear his own voice. "I got kicked out." He had never really talked about his expulsion with anyone, and the opportunity to unburden himself to a near-stranger was oddly liberating.

The circumstances surrounding the election were always a sore spot with Noah; Luke and Lily were so disappointed, Luke never wanted to raise it with them. The whole thing didn't bother Casey the way it did Luke – compared to his gambling addiction and jail time, the election fiasco just wasn't that big a deal. And after Reid had called him an idiot when it had come up a couple of weeks earlier, Luke was mortified to even imagine discussing the topic with him.

Tessa waited for Luke to continue.

"I was running for student council president because there were a few issues the winner had huge influence over. I really, really wanted to win, but my opponent ran a dirty campaign. And then when a friend of mine tried to investigate for me, one of my opponents buddies totally set her up - she was almost assaulted."

"That's awful, Luke! So, what happened?"

"Well, I couldn't let the jerks win, so I cheated. One of my friends helped me stuff the ballot boxes and I won."

"But then you got caught?"

"In a way," said Luke. "I was turned in." Luke remembered how devastated he felt when Noah had confirmed the Dean's suspicions about Luke's role in the election fixing.

"That sucks," said Tessa. "What were the issues that drove you to cheat?"

"Well, there were a few, but the main one was a gay film festival."

Tessa sat up in surprise. "Are you gay, Luke?"

"Yeah," Luke replied. "You didn't figure that out? Is that a problem?"

"No," Tessa laughed. "I'm glad you told me. The last thing I need is to fall for another gay guy!"

Luke laughed, remembering how he'd once told Jade how he'd promised himself not to fall for any more straight guys.

"So," said Tessa, "Was that then your _boyfriend_ you were texting earlier?"

Luke blushed. "Yeah."

"You're so lucky," said Tessa. "I wish I had someone who looked at me the way you looked when you were texting him. And the way you look now that you're even thinking about him. He must be something special."

"Yeah," smiled Luke. "He is."

Tessa waited for him to continue, but he didn't, so she changed the subject. "So, you got kicked out of school on account of a gay film festival? Must have been some film festival. I know that it's important for people to see gay characters in films and not to shy away from it, but you were willing to get tossed out of school for it?"

"Yeah, well, first of all, I didn't think I would get caught."

"That's not all, though. That just doesn't seem like the Luke Snyder I know."

"Well, maybe you don't know the real Luke Snyder very well."

"I think I know him well enough. There's something you're not telling me."

Luke decided it was safe to keep going. Talking to Tessa was cathartic. "Well, my boyfriend was a film studies major…"

"Is this Mister Supertext we're talking about?"

Chuckling at the thought of Reid being a film studies major, Luke replied, "No, definitely not. This was my prior boyfriend."

"So you got kicked out of school because your boyfriend was into a gay film festival?"

"Well, yeah, I guess so," Luke said. In hindsight, it sounded a lot more heroic and romantic at the time.

"You must have really been in love with guy!" said Tessa.

"Yeah, I thought so," said Luke.

"What happened?" Tessa asked.

A whole series of events flashed through Luke's head – Ameera, the election, Noah's enlistment, his blindness, Mason, Brian, Damian, Noah's dad, the fireworks, the Zs….It reminded him of the plot of a bad soap opera. Instead he settled on "We grew apart."

Curious, Tessa prodded, "Was that before or after Mr. Supertext came along?"

Luke thought about how complicated his relationships with both Noah and Reid had been while Reid was Noah's surgeon.

"Um, kinda before, I guess."

"Kinda before?"

"Yeah, well, Noah and I had disagreed about a lot of things for a long time – the election was just one thing."

"Noah's Mr. Film?"

"Yeah. And he was going through a really tough time for awhile and he kept pushing me away. I think in the back of my heart I lost faith in us pretty early along, but my mind was still telling me that we were forever, that I had to keep fighting for him. So I kept trying to get back together with him, even though there wasn't all that much there to get back to."

"And that's when Mr. Supertext came into the picture."

"Mm hmm," said Luke, unable to stifle the small smile that came to his lips.

"I see that smile you're trying to hide, Luke Snyder," said Tessa, pointing knowingly at Luke. "So tell me about him."

"Well, he's incredibly smart, incredibly funny...and incredibly sexy," said Luke, allowing the bashful smile to fill his face this time.

"It figures," muttered Tessa flopping back onto the bed. "It's just not fair. Why aren't any of the good men straight?"

"He's completely sure of himself and what he wants."

"You?"

Luke smiled in protest. "I _meant_ that he's really successful at what he does and he knows exactly what he wants to do with his life."

"And you, Luke?" asked Tessa.

"Me? I dunno. I still haven't figured out what I'm actually good at."

Tessa sat up and leaned forward to face him again. "Luke, have you been paying any attention during the group discussions?" In truth, he often hadn't. During discussions, especially of everyone else's work, Luke often found himself looking out the window and daydreaming about...

"Hello! Are you paying attention now?"

Luke snapped back to the present.

"Luke, I know you said you weren't sure if you wanted to be a writer, but you are _really_ good. Even Bradley said something nice this morning. And he's usually like, 'Your characterizations were adequate, but if you compare it to what I did in my piece…' "

Tessa stuck her finger in her mouth and made a gagging face. "I thought he was gonna hurl when Alex singled him out to comment on your Lorinda piece because he couldn't think of a way to make himself sound better!"

Luke blushed.

"Look, Luke," said Tessa. "I know you're not sure of what you want, but everyone agrees you clearly 'have it.' "

Luke was surprised to hear that his classmates had been talking about him behind his back.

Tessa continued: "I don't know what you do in your real life when you're not in scenic Iowa City – you could be a waiter, an investment banker, a librarian or a Chippendale's dancer for all I know. But if you do whatever it is you do, the way you've been writing, you must be great at it. You don't need to feel bad about not having a degree – it's just a piece of paper. Bill Gates didn't need one, so you shouldn't either….Want mine?"

Luke laughed and paused, unsure how to respond. "Thanks, Tessa."

"You want my diploma?"

"Nah, just another Oreo," smiled Luke.

* * *

By the time Luke finally returned to his cottage, it was nearly 9:00 pm. He responded to emails about the surgical wing, and from the Foundation and his staff at Grimaldi Shipping. Then he quickly did a half-baked job on his favorite birthday gift description assignment before getting ready for bed.

He picked up his cell phone and texted: _Are your ears burning?_

Reid texted back: _No, but something else is…_

Luke replied: _Thanks. Now I need a cold shower._

Reid laughed to himself. Misery loves company. _Good._


	11. Ennis Del Mar

**Chapter 11: Ennis Del Mar**

On Friday morning, Luke's workshop finished their descriptions discussions and Marty introduced the topics for next week. The group would be moving onto more character work, looking into motivations, backstory, and relationships. Their weekend assigned reading was Annie Proulx's _Brokeback Mountain_.

Luke picked up a copy at the campus bookstore and read it front-to-back at the local coffee shop that afternoon. He had seen the movie a half a dozen times – it was one of Noah's favorites – though he had never read the original short story. One mid-July night, Luke convinced Reid to stay in for an air conditioned movie night, and they rented it from the local Blockbuster. Reid made himself comfortable on the couch, leaning back against the end and stretching his long legs out on the seat beside him, setting the previews running.

They'd figured out that they could both fit fairly comfortably if they tossed the back cushions off the couch, so Luke dimmed the lights, grabbed a bag of microwave popcorn and stretched out alongside Reid, the weight of his legs resting on Reid's. Reid wrapped a possessive arm over Luke's left shoulder and and waist, and used his free hand to toy with the loose strands of hair by Luke's right temple.

They watched largely in silence, until Heath Ledger's Ennis Del Mar hosed himself off while Jake Gyllenhaal's Jack Twist eyed him salaciously. Luke playfully turned his head to Reid's and asked, "So, Heath or Jake?"

Reid laughed, "Jake – but I'd like him better if he were blonde."

Luke smiled back, "I dunno. Check out Heath's..."

Reid tickled Luke in a particularly sensitive spot, and Luke went back to watching the movie. Reid remained quiet throughout the film – so quiet that Luke briefly wondered if he'd fallen asleep. Luke found himself really enjoying the film for the first time. In the past, he'd had to listen to Noah's running commentary about the cinematography, the camera angles, the actor's marks. This time he was able to really appreciate the gorgeous landscapes, the sadness of the protagonists and the depth of their love.

As the closing credits rolled, Luke turned back and asked, "So, whadja think?"

"Eh. The mountains were pretty." Reid replied.

"What do you mean, 'Eh' ?" Luke asked. "That was an epic love story – Jack and Ennis were meant to be together."

Reid started to say, "Like..." but cut himself off and instead replied, "That wasn't love. That was obsession with a good fuck...and frankly, I'm not sure how good a fuck it was for that matter."

"Excuse me?" Luke replied incredulously.

"I just don't buy that they were in love."

"And so uber-doc is now uber-Doctor Ruth?" Luke asked.

"Luke, you of all people oughta know that when you love somebody you'd move heaven and earth to be with them and make them happy. You hurt when they hurt, and being apart makes every limb in your body ache. Ennis can't have it both ways, hanging onto Jack for an occasional romp while the rest of the time he hides behind his convenient marriage..."

"Well, it wasn't quite the same being gay then as it is now," Luke interrupted.

"...while Jack's off screwing anything that moves because Ennis is temporarily unavailable. That's not love," Reid concluded.

Luke wasn't sure why, but he was starting to get annoyed. He sat up and turned to face Reid, retorting: "Try substituting the word 'job' for 'marriage.' Look in the mirror much lately?"

Reid silently counted to ten before responding, his voice much softer, "Do you think I'm hiding behind my work, Luke."

Luke realized he was projecting a bit onto the film and took a breath to collect his thoughts. He sat up so he could look Reid in the face before speaking: "When you first arrived in Oakdale, you were so cold – like you'd shut off all your feelings – kinda like Ennis. I know you didn't want personal complications to get in the way of your work, but then you went and told me you had feelings for me - how much more complicated could things get? You're still just as great a doctor now as you were then. What made you so cold back then?"

Reid's legs had fallen asleep under Luke's weight, and he shifted them uncomfortably before he replied. "I never really thought about it that way. I was focused on my work and saving lives. End of story."

"No," said Luke, "I don't buy it. When we were in Dallas, you started to say something about 'nobody ever...' before you cut yourself off. Nobody ever, what?"

Reid closed down a bit, and quietly replied, "Nobody ever moved heaven and earth for me."

"Nobody?" Luke asked. "Not even your family?"

"Not really. I mean, I don't remember much about my mother, so I can't really say about her. She used to sing that _raindrops on roses_ song to me every night when I was really young. When I got older, every night we'd pack my lunch for school the next day together. lt was just about the only time of day she was routinely lucid, so I kept finding ways to stretch out that time, so the sandwiches just kept getting bigger and bigger," Reid laughed softly at the memory. "But then things started to get really confusing when she started presenting symptoms. She'd forget to pick me up from school or she'd chew me out for doing something I'd already done. Even after she was diagnosed, it took me a couple of years before I fully understood what was going on."

"Where is she now?"

"She passed away about ten years ago at the group home where she lived."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Luke.

"Don't be. It was her time," Reid said.

"How about your dad?"

Reid smiled sadly, "When I was little we used to play pick-up hockey every night on the pond near our house. He always wanted me to play in the NHL."

"So what happened to the Great One's biggest threat?" joked Luke.

"After my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, my father spent nearly two months driving her around to doctor's appointments. When she had her first overnight stay for observation, he decided to make it up to me by taking me bowling."

"Bowling?" Luke asked incredulously.

"Yeah, bowling," smiled Reid. "For some reason it was the in thing for birthday parties and I'd begged him to take me so I wouldn't look like an idiot."

"And of course you bowled a perfect 300 first time out, right?"

"Right. Maybe if you add my scores from all four rounds we played," Reid laughed and continued: "Yeah, well, two weeks later he found me and this 11-year-old boy from down the street, um, playing doctor, and well, that was the end of the bowling outings and hockey nights."

"Ouch," said Luke.

"We didn't really have money for college since it all went to my mother's care. So from then on I pretty much just studied and played hockey. I managed to get myself a hockey scholarship to Harvard, and the rest, as they say, is history."

"Where's your dad now?"

"He died about a year after my mother. They say people will often die soon after losing their only reason for living. That's why they recommend terminal patients get pets."

Luke had always appreciated his family, but he never appreciated Holden, Lily, Lucinda and Emma as much as he did that moment. He remembered telling Reid, "You don't need to be impressed by me or touched by me. I didn't go and speak to Mr. Judd for you. I did it for Noah." And he remembered calling Reid a "sad, sad man." In retrospect, they felt like hits below the belt, and Luke suddenly felt a nauseating wave of guilt over come him.

He wanted nothing more to say something to let Reid know how much things had changed, but he struggled to find the words. "Reid, I..."

Reid could sense the turmoil in Luke's head and if he were truly honest with himself, he'd have admitted that his heart yearned for Luke to say something comforting. But the last thing he wanted to do was to be another Noah, turning his emptiness into Luke's pain. Reid's intellectual side dominated, as usual, and cautioned him not to guilt Luke into manufacturing words he didn't really feel. So instead of pressing him, Reid changed the subject.

"Luke, relax. You don't need to buy me a puppy," said Reid.

"Yeah, but..." Luke started.

"I'm fine," said Reid. "Really. C'mon – last one to the kitchen has to do all the dishes."


	12. Tuesdays at Al's

**Chapter 12: Tuesdays at Al's**

Although Bob Hughes had retired at the end of September, he still remained active on the hospital's Board. His role as chair of the Snyder Pavilion committee ensured that he saw Luke and Reid at least once a month at committee meetings. After Noah's surgery in May, Bob had dragged Reid to Al's to "get some perspective" and somehow their one-off lunch had become a weekly ritual.

This Tuesday, Bob arrived early and was enjoying an egg cream while scanning the headlines on the _Intruder_ that had been left by the previous customer. Reid arrived right on time and sat down across from Bob, pulling out a menu.

"You know, Dr. Oliver," Bob began as Reid scanned the options, "You could take it a little easier on your staff."

"Is it my fault I'm working with a bunch of local yokels who can't tell an EEG from MSG?"

"Reid," Bob continued, "Chris is driving me crazy. He's calling me daily with the latest complaints. If you don't lay off the staff, you're going to have a mutiny on your hands."

"If Chris would keep his staff better trained and managed, I wouldn't have to waste my time pointing out all their shortcomings."

"Reid, have you taken a day off since Luke left for Iowa?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"It's not easy when you're apart from the person you love."

"I managed fine before I moved to Oakdale."

"You managed," said Bob. "But I think you convinced yourself you were a lot more fine than you were."

Reid scowled. "Thank you, Oprah Hughes."

"I had your assistant clear your calendar for tomorrow."

"You can't do that! You don't even work at Memorial any more."

"It doesn't mean I don't still have pull with the right people," smiled Bob.

"What am I supposed to do with myself?" asked Reid.

"Have fun?" suggested Bob.

* * *

Wednesday morning Reid's alarm woke him at the usual hour. He put on the coffee and stepped in the shower before remembering that he didn't have to go into the hospital at all.

Aside from his recent weekends with Luke, he couldn't remember the last time he had a free day, and he literally didn't know what to do with himself. His case files called to him from his briefcase, but he decided that Bob had issued a challenge and he was not going to back down from it. He was a smart guy – he ought to be able to figure out how to have a few hours of fun if it killed him.

He sat in the kitchen in his towel, sipped his coffee and read the morning paper. The front pages were filled with the usual depressing robberies, financial crises, and political scandals. He was about to flip to the sports section when a half-page ad caught his eye. Nah, he thought to himself. But then he realized that the last impulsive thing he'd done was getting on that ridiculous bull in Dallas, and he wasn't really thinking straight at that point. He remembered something about "those who can, do; those who can't..."

What the heck, thought Reid. He changed into a long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans, grabbed a jacket, tucked the blue glass from his nightstand into his pocket and set off.

* * *

An hour later, Reid pulled up at the Oakdale Recreation Center. As he walked through the doors, he was hit by a wave of familiar sensations – cold brisk air and the mixed smell of incomplete combustion, stale sweat, cheap popcorn, and industrial cleaner.

Reid made his way into the arena and sat down in the visitor's bench. The morning figure skaters were just finishing their session and he watched as several ran through their programs. He opened the shopping bag he carried, pulled out a box containing a brand new pair of CCM Tacks. He pulled out the skates, admiring the improvements in materials and appearance since he'd last worn a pair, and scraped his fingernail along the blades to confirm they were sharp enough to be safe.

He was amazed how quickly the routines came back - the double-tug between each lace cross, the loop up before the loop under on the last set of hooks. He tossed his shoes into the shopping bag, stuffed it below the bench and stood up cautiously. He did a few tentative knee bends and then tipped back and forth, reacquainting himself with the distinctive rock of the blade. Satisfied his body would remember what to do he lifted the gate latch and took his first steps onto the ice.

Holding onto the barrier, he took a few tentative steps to get a feel for the blades on ice. Then he pushed the gate back shut and pushed away from the wall. Left, right, left, right. His steps gradually lengthened into practiced strokes and he began gliding around the ice. He did a couple of slow laps and tossed his jacket over the boards on the third lap.

Reid picked up the pace of his steps, bending lower and pushing harder. Left, right, left, right, all the way down one side. He picked up speed and crouched so he could push even harder. Push, cross, push, cross, around the far end of the rink. Soon he was lapping the other skaters on the mostly empty public session. After speeding around the end on the next lap, he stood up straight to catch his breath, gliding along the straightaway. The wind hitting his face made his eyes sting, making him laugh out loud.

Once Reid had gotten over the initial adrenalin rush, he settled into a steady and sustainable pace, enjoying the opportunity to daydream a bit about a certain blonde shirt-stealer. After 45 minutes, he decided he could officially call it a victory – he was actually having fun.

That darned Bob Hughes was right again.

* * *

Memorial Hospital's annual black-tie fundraiser was held in mid-August. Luke had taken one look at Reid's tuxedo and declared it unfit. "You may have been able to get away with that in Dallas when you could just blend in with the rest of the crowd, but you're seated at the head table this year."

"I'm a neurosurgeon, not Brad Pitt," said Reid.

"I dunno – I think you could give him a run for his money," Luke said, flashing his flirty eyes.

Reid almost blushed. "I'm not going shopping for a monkey suit I'm only going to wear once."

"You won't have to. I took care of it. Fenmore's will be delivering one later this afternoon. Besides, you're administration now – you'd better get used to wearing it."

"Oh, golly, I just can't wait," said Reid, returning to his crossword.

* * *

The courier arrived shortly after four o'clock which gave Luke and Reid just enough time for a long, leisurely shower before getting ready for the hospital gala. Reid looked up periodically as he put on his own pleated shirt, watching as Luke got dressed. The summer sun had been kind to Luke and the many days they'd spent hiking and tossing a Frisbee had given him a bit of color that contrasted strikingly with the crisp white shirt.

Reid couldn't take his eyes off Luke as he deftly managed his cufflinks and then inserted the matching onyx studs; Reid couldn't help feeling disappointed when the final few inches of Luke's chest disappeared beneath the white cotton. Luke tied his bow-tie on autopilot, with the speed and effortlessness that comes from familiarity. Luke donned his Armani jacket and looked at his reflection in the mirror, brushing stray strands of bangs off his forehead. He noticed Reid staring from the other side of the room in the reflection.

Luke turned around briefly and asked, "What?" before turning back to the mirror to finish adjusting his bow-tie. The shimmery black silk and simple cut of the suit made Luke look like a movie star.

Reid made his way across the room and stood behind Luke, wrapping his arms around Luke's shoulders. His voice caught in his throat as he spoke: "You look…incredible."

Luke turned around and wrapped his own arms around Reid's waist and smiled broadly. "You're lookin' pretty fine yourself, Dr. Oliver."

Reid gazed deeply in Luke's eyes thinking he could easily lose himself for the rest of the evening in those brown depths. He gently brushed Luke's cheek with his hand. He leaned his head forwards so their foreheads nearly touch and began, "Luke, I…"

Luke tilted his head questioningly, trying to decipher the intensity in Reid's gaze.

"Luke, I…." Reid began again. "…I think I could use some help with these damned cufflinks."

Luke blinked for a minute to make sure he'd heard correctly, frowned, then eyed Reid suspiciously. Then he grabbed the cufflinks out of Reid's hands and made quick work of them. "Lemme guess," said Luke, "You want help with the tie, too?"

"Um, yeah," said Reid, taking a step back and looking away.

Luke sighed and rolled his eyes. He adjusted Reid's shoulders so that they were square, and then took the tie that hung loosely around Reid's neck. Luke gently wrapped the tie around Reid's neck and executed the fabric gymnastics needed to form the perfect knot. The whole time, he could feel Reid's gaze burning a hole in his forehead.

Luke took a step back to admire his handiwork. "You look perfectly…" he began. A string of words ran through Luke's head: _Gorgeous? Sexy? Yummy? Dashing? Breathtaking?_

Reid raised an eyebrow.

"Pretentious."

* * *

By the time they arrived at the Oakdale Botanical Gardens for the gala, the event was well underway. Bob and Kim stood near the entrance to their reception hall, greeting the assortment of friends, benefactors, and dignitaries as they arrived.

Reid let Luke lead him around by the hand as he "worked" the room. Reid marveled at how Luke seemed to know just about everyone in Oakdale. Luke was really in his element, as person after person greeted him warmly and authentically. They could barely walk a few feet before Luke would be stopped for a kiss on the cheek. Or he would stop himself to shake hands with a guest and say thank you. Reid admired how Luke engaged with everybody he interacted with, making them feel like the only ones in the very crowded room. Luke's smile was contagious, and Reid even made nice as Luke dutifully introduced him to each and every bit of flesh he pressed.

About half-way around the room they ran into Chris and Katie just as Luke ran off after someone he'd been trying to reach all week. Katie wore a floor-length bright royal blue strapless dress similar in color to the dress she wore to Alison and Casey's wedding, Reid recalled; and she looked beautiful.

Reid mock-wolf-whistled and said, "Not bad." Reid kissed Katie's hand and she beamed in response.

"Hey, hands off the merchandise," Chris joked.

"She's not for sale, Doogie," Reid tossed over his shoulder as he left for the buffet table.

* * *

At dinner, Luke and Reid sat at the head table with Bob and Kim, Chris and Katie, and Henry and Barbara. The champagne flowed freely, the food was fantastic and everyone was in high spirits. The conversation was upbeat and non-stop. Midway through the main course, Luke hooked his leg underneath Reid's, where it remained until dessert was served.

As the waiters made their way around the room with pots of coffee and decaf, Bob nodded to Reid and Chris, offered an arm to Kim, and made his way to the dais at the front of the room. Reid and Chris followed behind and flanked him on either side as Kim stood just behind and Bob prepared to speak.

Bob cleared his throat as the tech crew adjusted the microphone levels, sending a characteristic feedback whine through the room.

"Good evening," Bob began. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us tonight at Memorial Hospital's 'Light Up the Future' dinner and for your continuing and generous support of our efforts.

"As you are all well aware, 2010 has been an incredible year in Memorial's history. In January, we were named a 'Top 10' facility for cardiac and GI specialties by _Illinois Life _magazine for the fifth year running. In February, we opened our new 'Mother's Place' maternity ward. But I'm sure I don't need to tell you all the biggest news of the year.

"In May, Memorial Hospital announced the development of the new Snyder Pavilion surgical wing. Named in honor of Bradley Snyder, who was tragically killed late last year, the Pavilion will offer state-of-the-art technical operating facilities for neurology, cardiology and surgical oncology." Katie bit her lip and fought back the tear that was threatening to ruin her mascara. Jack caught her eye from across the room and nodded apologetically.

Bob continued: "In addition, to a world-class ICU, the Snyder Pavilion will be home to a Class IIIC neonatal intensive care unit – this will make us a regional NICU center, allowing us to treat the most vulnerable infants without having to transfer them to facilities in Chicago."

"None of this would be possible without the incredible generosity of our benefactors. So, please, everyone, join me in a very big, and very heartfelt round of applause for Mr. Henry Coleman." Bob paused and extended a hand out, gesturing for Henry to stand up.

Henry looked around stunned. Katie beamed at him across the table, bursting with pride. Barbara simply put an arm around his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek, then gently nudged him to stand up as the audience gave him a protracted ovation.

When the applause finally died down, Bob went on. "One aspect of the Snyder Pavilion that we are particularly proud of is that it will not just be a bunch of high-tech machines and medicines. We are blessed to have a top-notch staff…" Bob paused for applause; as Luke caught Reid's eye, Reid did his best to maintain his stony-faced composure.

"…and of the Pavilion's attention to the holistic care of our patients. The Snyder Pavilion will also be introducing groundbreaking innovations in patient and family accommodation and support to allow patients to benefit from the care of their loved ones during trying times. For that, we owe our thanks to Luke Snyder and the Snyder Foundation."

Bob paused again for applause, this time gesturing for Luke to stand. Reid quickly caught Luke's eye before looking down, hoping that would help mask the proud smile on his face. Luke found Holden and Lily in the crowd and smiled at them in silent thanks before taking a mock bow and sitting back down.

"Now, it's often been said that when one door closes, another opens," Bob resumed. "With the opening of the Snyder Pavilion, it has indeed come time to close another door, so I'd like to take the opportunity to formally announce my intention to step down as Chief of Staff at the end of next month. I won't be far away, though, as I'll remain on the Board of Directors, and will take over as Board Chair when Lucinda Walsh completes her term in January."

Many in the audience nodded knowingly, although there were a few gasps from some surprised patrons who had equated Bob with Memorial for nearly 50 years.

"I am thrilled to formally introduce my successors. First, taking over as Chief of Staff, will be my son Dr. Christopher Hughes. Many of you will be familiar with Chris from his many years practicing at Memorial, and more recently from his appearances with Katie Snyder on WOAK's _Oakdale Now._" Chris winked at Katie as the audience politely applauded.

"I'd also like to announce the creation of a new position – Chief of Surgical Administration. I am very pleased to announce that this role will be filled by Dr. Reid Oliver, a pioneer in the field of neurosurgery. Dr. Oliver joined Memorial's staff this past January and has been working closely with the Snyder Foundation on the development of the Pavilion." Luke beamed with pride as Reid again tried to look nonchalant.

"So, ladies and gentlemen, if you'll please –" Bob started before he was interrupted by a loud "STOP!"

A 50-something man in a tuxedo, his shirt slightly untucked and his hair disheveled, stumbled towards the stage. "Bob Hughes, goddamn you. How could you let these damned people take over?"

Bob looked at the man with a bewildered stare. "Excuse me? Can I help you?" Reid, Chris, Bob and Kim all took a step back from the clearly drunk and belligerent man.

"We the people of Oakdale trusted you with our care. With our lives. With our loved ones. And you are letting these people take over!" ranted the man.

"My god, Skozy, you're drunk! You need to calm down," Bob said, as the police detail made their way over.

"You're letting homodoc and that faggot rich boy ruin Oakdale!" Mr. Skozy shouted.

Reid stepped forward menacingly: "WHAT did you call him?"

"You heard me, you perv!" the man shot back. "I called you homodoc and your boyfriend a goddamn fa –"

He was unable to finish his sentence before Reid hauled back and slugged him in the jaw.

"Oh my god! Reid!" Luke pushed his chair back, knocking over several wine glasses in his haste to make his way through the crowd that had gathered at the front of the room.

Mr. Skozy slowly peeled himself off the ground, groggy and even less coherent. "C'mon Bob, are you gonna man up and do your goddamn job protecting the citizens of Oakdale."

Reid started towards him "Look, you –"

"Reid, shut up and let me handle this," Bob said.

Chris struggled to hold Reid back and told him, "He's not worth it. Let it go."

Bob looked at the man with disgust. "Reid Oliver would be an asset at any medical facility in the world, and Luke Snyder is one of the most generous philanthropists in the midwest. Without their involvement thousands of people in Oakdale would be worse off. You may be a long-time board member and donor, but it's one of your damned business who they choose to spend their personal time with. You make me sick."

Turning to the police officers who had finally arrived, Bob told them to "Take him away."

* * *

As the crowd parted to allow the police through, Luke was finally able to make his way to Reid's side. Chris had ushered Reid to a quiet corner of the room, and nodded to Luke as he made himself scarce.

"Are you a fucking insane? Your hand!" Luke yelled as soon as he was close enough to make eye contact.

"Fuck the hand!" Reid shouted back. "I'm not going to stand back while some dickhead with a stick up his ass disses the man I love in front of all the prominent citizens of Oakdale."

The members of the assembled crowd stepped back and at least pretended not to eavesdrop.

Luke took a step back. Did he just hear the word "love?" He grabbed the nearest chair and set it down facing Reid.

"Reid," he said, "I'm a big boy. I can defend myself. Don't you think I've been called a lot worse at some point in my life." He took Reid's hands. "Can I see? Is it broken?"

"Um, I think I'm the doctor here," Reid replied.

"All right, Dr. Oliver," Luke acceded. "What's the prognosis?"

Reid opened and closed it a few times and made a big show out of testing each knuckle before replying. "It's a little sore, but it'll be fine."

"Did you say something about 'the man you love?' " Luke asked uncertainly.

"Oh, yeah, that," said Reid. "Don't let it go to your head."

Luke felt a warm glow permeate every pore on his skin.

"Promise me one thing , will you?" Luke asked

"What?"

"You won't ever do anything so _stupid _again?" Luke finished. Luke leaned forwards and took Reid's face in both hands, then leaned in and placed a long, lingering kiss on his lips.

Tenderly placing a hand on Luke's cheek, Reid replied, "I don't make promises I can't keep."

Luke sighed heavily. "And _that_ is one of so very many reasons why I am completely in love with you."

* * *

After two hours of circling the rink, Reid's legs were starting to protest. While the muscle memory had returned, the particular combination of leg muscles were definitely unaccustomed to such sustained use. Reid left the ice, removed his skates, dried off the blades and tossed them back into their box and drove home. The cold air had cleared his head and he felt more energized than he had all week.

Making himself a large salami, pastrami, and pepperoni sandwich, Reid dialed Luke's number. Not expecting Luke to answer on the first ring, Reid was mid-bite when Luke picked up.

"Reid?"

"Eye, Ruke," he managed to get out, trying to quickly chew and swallow the enormous mouthful of sandwich.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Reid finally managed. "Everything's fine. How're you?"

"I'm fine," said Luke suspiciously. "Why?"

"Just wondering," said Reid. "What have you been up to?"

"Not much," said Luke. "Mostly writing, responding to emails, hanging out with some of my classmates. Aren't you supposed to be on rounds right now?"

"No, Bob arranged for me to take the day off," said Reid.

"Why?"

"The old fusspot said something about wanting me to have _fun_," Reid said, with as much indignation as he could muster.

Luke laughed out loud. "He did? And did you?"

"Yeah, I guess I did."

Luke laughed again, "So what did you do? Alphabetize your _Journal of Neurology_ back issues_?_"

"As a matter of fact, No. I, um, went skating."

On hearing this, Luke, who had been rocking his desk chair back and forth as they talked, tipped a little too far back and ungracefully tumbled from his chair, dropping the phone.

"Luke, are you there? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just, um dropped my phone," said Luke sheepishly. "Did I hear you say you went skating? As in thin metal blades on your feet? Big slab of ice?"

"Mm hm."

"Well, I'll be. Reid Oliver _does_ know how to have fun. How was it?"

Once they got started, Luke and Reid chatted easily for 45 minutes, catching up on the week-and-a-half worth of activity before Reid asked, "Did you really bring my shirt with you?"

"Yeah," Luke admitted. " I wear it every night."

"Ooh, _that'll _be nice by the time you get back," Reid laughed.

"Well, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do," replied Luke, laughing as well.

"You know that piece of glass you gave me," Reid asked.

"Yeah."

"It's the last thing I look at every night, and the first thing I see in the morning," Reid confessed.

Luke's heart did a happy dance as he tried to think of a witty reply, but nothing came to mind. Finally he said, "You didn't really call just to tell me that you went ice skating, did you?"

Reid replied, "Well, not quite."

"So why did you call?" asked Luke.

Reid paused and took a deep breath before speaking. "I just wanted to tell you I love you."

"I love you, too, Reid," said Luke.

"Talk to you tomorrow?" Reid asked, hoping he sounded casual and noncommittal.

"Sure. I should probably go finish up my assignment now, though."

" Okay. 'Night."

" 'Night."


	13. Sounds Like the Same Thing to Me

**Chapter ****13: ****Sounds Like the Same Thing to Me**

Reid's "Talk to you tomorrow?" rang in Luke's head all day, popping up intermittently throughout the day at most inopportune moments. Now that the proverbial floodgates had been opened, Luke willed time to move faster so it would be evening and he could call to hear Reid's voice again.

After the Wednesday morning session, Luke eschewed all social invitations from well-meaning classmates, grabbed a sandwich at the cafeteria and returned straight to his room so he could buckle down and finish his assignment and get on the phone.

The morning discussion topic and follow-up assignment was on character motivations. Luke had chosen to write about Damian, who'd always professed that all his outlandish deeds were motivated by love – love for Luke, and love for Lily. When Luke had faced Damian and renounced being "Luciano Grimaldi," he'd hoped that by doing so, he could distance himself from everything he hated in Damian.

Looking back, though, he realized he had failed. As Reid had aptly pointed out to him on more than one occasion, he _was_ Damian Grimaldi's son, much as he hoped to forget it was so.

When Noah's situation had become most dire, not only had Luke reached out to Damian for advice, but he'd pulled pages straight from the Grimaldi playbook to coerce Reid to Oakdale. In hindsight, he thanked God everyday that mystical forces had aligned to bring Reid Oliver into his life, but regretted his own deceitful role in the process.

Yet when Reid's medical license was threatened, when he was vulnerable and sought Luke's help, Luke had refused to exercise his "inner Grimaldi." Reid had practically begged him: "Your name, your money, your power — all of it. I want to use it. Bribe somebody, blackmail them, I don't care, just get me back into the operating room."

Luke had gone away think about what he could and should do. Practically speaking, despite Reid's suggestion, Damian was still out of the picture; and even if he wanted to, Luke didn't believe he had the wherewithal to blackmail or coerce without Damian's coaching. After Holden's acquittal, Damian had been taken into custody, and Luke did not relish a trip to the county holding facility to seek Damian's assistance in helping the man most responsible for his current imprisonment.

As for bribery, he'd already tried 'talking' to Mr. Judd, though he hadn't really thought about it as bribe at the time. Luke had hoped that he could reason with the man; perhaps use his resources to make something good come out of the situation – a scholarship, a research fund, something to lessen the pain. But as he described his intervention to Reid, "I didn't go and speak with him because I wanted to buy him off...I just wanted to make that lawsuit disappear," Reid had aptly concluded, "Sounds like the same thing to me."

So bribery remained a possibility, but having failed at swaying Mr. Judd with money, the alternative was to approach some of the medical board officials or judges involved in the case, and that level of explicit corruption left a bad taste in Luke's mouth. Besides, Luke wondered, why they should stoop so low, when Reid was completely in the clear?

**

* * *

**

"So Luke, my dear, what brings you here to see your grandmother in the middle of this lovely spring afternoon. Surely not just a social visit?" Lucinda began, as Luke sweet-talked her assistant into squeezing him in between appointments.

"I need your help," said Luke.

"No pussyfooting, eh. Must be important. What do you need?"

"You know how we dragged Dr. Oliver here from Dallas to do Noah's surgery?"

"Mm hmm," Lucinda nodded. "Lily mentioned something about that...and something about Damian giving you blackmailing lessons?"

"Um, yeah," Luke admitted self-consciously. "Well, after Dr. Oliver got to Oakdale, he examined Noah and figured out that he couldn't do the surgery right away, so Noah's been doing this therapy while waiting for his surgery."

"Do you have a surgery date yet?" asked Lucinda.

"No, not that I know of. I haven't heard anything," Luke replied. "But Noah doesn't tell me all that much these days. He's got a new...friend."

"Friend?" asked Lucinda. "As in _BOY_friend? Does this friend have a name?"

"Richard, apparently. Noah says they're 'just friends' and he likes Richard because he doesn't put pressure on him and because he doesn't love him...like me."

"I see," said Lucinda sympathetically.

"So, at any rate, while Noah's been waiting on his surgery, Dr. Oliver has run into some issues regarding his medical license."

"He's a quack?" asked Lucinda.

"No, no, no! Nothing like that. He had this patient – a little girl, five or six years old, I think he said. Apparently, she had an inoperable brain tumor. She was only supposed to have a few weeks to live, but Dr. Oliver extended her life to a year."

"So what's the problem?"

"The problem is that the girl's dad – this Mr. Judd guy – he seems to blame Dr. Oliver for his daughter's death. He walked into the Lakeview the other day and started to beat the crap out of Dr. Oliver, calling him a murderer."

"I see."

"And then when he decided beating him up wasn't enough, he filed a malpractice suit. I tried talking to him into seeing that it would make more sense for all involved to drop the lawsuit..."

"_Just_ talking?"

"Well, I did kind of mention that I had a lot of money," Luke said sheepishly.

"It didn't work?"

"No, in fact, Mr. Judd ended up lodging a complaint with the medical licensing board in Texas on top of the lawsuit, and so now Dr. Oliver is suspended. And if he's suspended, he can't practice. And if he can't practice, he can't do Noah's surgery."

"Do you think the charges are warranted?"

"No! If it's one thing I'm sure of, it's that. Dr. Oliver's a great doctor. I think his lousy bedside manner is really just an act, though, because although he's been a complete jerk to me, he's actually been really good to Noah. Which reminds me - I forgot to tell you - Noah had a small breakthrough today. He saw some light! So I know he's making progress and it's because of Dr. Oliver. Noah needs Dr. Oliver to get his sight back."

"So how can I help?"

"How do I get these charges dropped so Dr. Oliver can get back to work and do Noah's surgery?"

"Here – you get on the computer and start doing some research. In the meantime, let me make a few calls..."

**

* * *

**

Twenty minutes later, Lucinda finished off her call to a former Smith classmate who sat on the Texas Medical Licensing Board. Another call to the airfield secured the WorldWide private jet for the next few days, and Luke returned to the hospital.

Upon his return, Luke had told Reid: "I'm not gonna do anything illegal, immoral, or underhanded even if it's for the right reason. I've done it before and it never turns out the way I wanted it to and I never feel good about it afterwards – it makes me feel like I'm Damian Grimaldi's son. You call me Mr. _Snyder _for a reason."

Luke remembered feeling good as he said it – both because he knew that it would be followed with the good news about the emergency hearing Lucinda had arranged, but also because he knew he had played a role in finding a solution that seemed destined to succeed. While Lucinda chased down her contacts, Luke had spent the time researching each of the licensing board members – their specialties, their public statements, their publications and court testimonies to determine exactly what argument would appeal most to each member. Knowing that Reid had done no wrong, Luke knew it was just a matter of presenting their arguments in the right package.

But now, as he tried to capture his feelings about Damian on paper, Luke began to question himself: why had he been willing to go so far as to blackmail Reid for Noah, but he wouldn't do the same for Reid? He certainly loved Reid as much as he ever remembered loving Noah.

Luke stopped writing and saved his file. He walked to his mini-kitchen and made himself a cup of tea. Burning his fingers as he fished out the teabag and tossed it into the trashcan, he sat in the chair and stared out the window. The snow was falling again – a warm, wet snow with big fluffly flakes that floated slowly to the ground. He watched as flakes landed on the window screen, mostly melting, but leaving a few distinctly visible. 1-2-3-4-5-6. Luke amused himself trying to count the spokes on some of the larger flakes.

In the distance, he could see some of the college kids starting a snowball fight. Their boisterous yells carried all the way across the quad to his cottage, and it reminded him of Christmas Eve at the Farm.

Reid.

"Why _didn't_ I jump to bend the rules for Reid when he asked?" Luke questioned himself. "Well, for one," he argued, "It wasn't necessary. There was no question Reid would win in any rational forum of debate."

"Plus," Luke reminded himself, "I wasn't in love with him..." but then added to himself with a smile, "yet." At the time, Reid had given few indications of any inclinations more than cool cordiality, though Luke had already been on the receiving end of some mind-melting smiles. At the time he had chalked them up to professional civility and momentary kismet, not suspecting the depth of emotion behind them. Plus Luke himself had made it clear, he'd only helped Reid for Noah.

Noah.

It always came back to Noah. Luke had gone out of his way to help Reid retain his license; He'd blackmailed him to come to Oakdale in the first place to perform Noah's surgery. All so Noah would get his sight back. Noah had been so desperate to get his sight back, that Luke became desperate to be the one to give it back to him. So they could go back to the way they were before. So they could go back to being the same unhappy pair they'd been for months before Noah's accident.

Why?

And then Luke had an epiphany. It was all about _desperation_. Not love. Luke had moved heaven and earth because of something that felt like love, but was really desperation. Desperation to go back to the few happy months they had shared years ago, not months ago – those first few months that had felt like magic, and true love everlasting. Luke had tasted the ambrosia and desperately wanted more. Like Tantalus, he had been reaching, reaching, reaching...but never attaining. Until Reid Oliver came along.

So, what about Reid What if the Judd case was reopened tomorrow and Reid asked for his help again? Would he blackmail, bribe, or coerce to win or retain Reid's love? Luke smiled to himself. He couldn't really imagine ever having to do so.

Would he ever be so desperate again? Luke had a hard time imagining being so desperate to help Reid retain his job or regain his eyesight. Reid was so much stronger and more confident than Noah - even though he said he was nothing without his job, Luke knew he was resilient enough to withstand such challenges. But what if Reid's life were in danger? Would he put his own life at risk, hijack a kidney, marry someone he didn't love or father a child to save Reid? Luke had no doubts. He was sure he wouldn't hesitate to do anything, including put his own life on the line to save Reid's. And he silently thanked Damian for the strength to act on his convictions and the tenacity and creativity to make the impossible possible.

Luke looked up again. The snowball fight had ended and the boys were wrestling their way back to the dorms. He placed his teacup in the sink and returned to his desk.

**

* * *

**

Luke reflected on his relationship with Damian and realized how many of Damian's actions were motivated by desperation as well – desperation to keep Lily away from Holden, desperation to win Luke's love, desperation to make Luke into the Luciano he wanted, desperation to retain the Grimaldi family fortune, desperation for revenge.

And yet Luke remembered Damian's pride (albeit perverse) as he watched Luke blackmailing Dr. Oliver on the phone. It was one of their last interactions before he abandoned town in his attempt to rid Lily of Holden for good. But behind Damian's desperation, Luke did recognize some real love. When Zac and Zoe had arrived in town and started causing trouble, Luke was so convinced that Damian was the perpetrator that he never doubted his conclusion. But Damian had persevered despite Luke's ambivalence. He had gone to look for Noah in Lisbon to prove his love for Luke. By the time Damian had arrived just in time to save him from Zoe's seduction, he had been desperate – but desperate to save Luke's life, not for any other gain. He had saved Luke out of love.

Luke silently made a mental note to make peace with Damian when he returned to Oakdale, then woke up his laptop and finished his piece.

**

* * *

**

An hour later, Luke and Reid were chatting pleasantly on the phone.

"So, am I ever gonna get to see anything you've written?" Reid asked.

The thought of sharing his writing with anyone he knew was mortifying enough, but during the last week-and-a-half of character and description sketches, Luke realized just about every single piece had included bits of Noah or bits of Reid. He silently promised himself he would choose topics that stayed away from them.

"Only if I get to observe you in surgery," Luke parried.

"That privilege is reserved for family members. And you, Mr. Snyder, are not family."

"Well, then, Dr. Oliver, you're just going to have to wait a little while longer yourself."


	14. Bad Dad

_**A/N: **__For those of you who read earlier chapters previously and skipped to here, a couple of notes. First, the retreat leader has been renamed from Marty Peck to Alex. I decided hated the name for this character, and Alex is a tribute to a friend who has heavily influenced (in the best of ways!) some of the upcoming chapters. Also, a chapter called Feisty was previously posted as Chapter 14. This has been moved later because there are a few points that chronologically need to be made before the events in Chapter 14 (sorry for any confusion, that's the problem with posting fanfic on the fly). And thanks for sticking with me!_

* * *

**Chapter 14:**** Bad Dad…**

By the time Luke and Reid finished on the phone Wednesday night, it was nearly midnight. Luke was so sleepy he didn't have the energy to change for bed. He tumbled heavily onto the bed, pulled Reid's shirt out from under his pillow and fell asleep with it tucked under his cheek like a safety blanket.

He woke later than usual the next morning and didn't have time for breakfast, so he made himself coffee while getting dressed, and grabbed a banana and some chocolate chip cookies for the unusually brisk walk to the conference center.

Nearly all the seats were taken by the time he arrived, so Luke quietly took his place near the door, in the remaining open seat between Tessa and Trevor. Trevor clumsily shuffled the papers in front of him into a disorderly stack and edged his chair over to make room for Luke, as Tessa raised her eyebrows at him questioningly.

After the morning icebreaker (rewriting a nursery rhyme like Three Blind Mice or Simple Simon from a character's point of view), Alex looked around for volunteers to discuss the character motivations assignment. Tessa kicked Luke under the table and he involuntarily yelped, "ow." All heads turned in his direction and he added, "Um, yeah, I guess I'll go."

"Great, Luke," Alex smiled at him. "It's been awhile since we heard from you. Why don't you go ahead and give your intro and then you can read your piece."

"Um, okay," Luke said, taking a deep breath. "My piece is about a guy named Darien. He's powerful and arrogant, but also misguided and occasionally ruthless. I wanted to explore whether something as pure as love could actually be a motivator for actions that most people would consider to be cruel or heartless."

**

* * *

**

Luke finished his intro and read through his piece on Damian - though most of the details were disguised, Luke preserved the nature of Damian's activities - and then the class began discussions. He recalled how angry Damian was when he heard that he and Reid were together – that the man responsible for his predicament, and his inelegant re-eviction from Lily's heart and from her bed – was now the love of Luke's life. Damian had asked how Luke could betray his father – his own flesh and blood in such a manner.

Luke occasional caught bits and pieces of the conversation as his classmates took sides.

"I've never really had the privilege of an all-consuming love, but I believe it exists. And I do believe that it can be so deep and so passionate that you'd do anything for the ones you love..." Trevor was saying.

Even sitting in the classroom with the discussion continuing around him, Luke could feel his temper flaring up at the thought, and his cheeks burning at the memory. "Holden Snyder is my father," Luke remembered telling Damian, adding, "After what you did to Holden, you're nothing to me," before turning and walking away.

"...No way," argued Melissa, a 20-something goth princess. "Darien's totally in it for himself. There's no way he's motivated by love. Because in the end, all the things he did just stuck it to the woman he claimed to love..."

Luke recalled the day that Reid and Damian had finally crossed paths. Damian had called Reid every vile name in the book and had to be restrained by the bailiff and two patrolmen, while Reid stood by Luke's side, at least outwardly unmoved. Luke felt overwhelming guilt for the venom being thrown Reid's way. It just added insult to the harm Damian had tried to inflict in his quest for revenge. Luke blamed himself – after all Reid wouldn't have to endure such verbal abuse if it weren't for the fact that Damian was Luke's father. But while Luke struggled to keep himself from decking Damian, it was Reid who put a hand on Luke's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Don't blame yourself Luke. It's not your fault. Just ignore him and don't let him get to you. I'm fine; Damian failed, and his words certainly won't hurt me."

"I think you can both be right," Tessa interjected. "Darien may just be so blinded by his love that he doesn't realize the negative repercussions of his actions..."

The more he remembered Damian's harsh words, the more he berated himself even thinking about reaching out to him. Luke felt himself descending into self-pity, hating how Damian's verbal attack on Reid had stabbed him in the heart as well, hating the Grimaldi blood in his veins.

Bradley was muttering something about the literary constructs of romantic love when Tessa surreptitiously elbowed Luke back to attention, emphatically mouthing, "Pay attention!"

Luke forced himself to leave put his self-pity party aside to listen to the ongoing discussion. "You know, Bradley," Trevor began. "That's just a bunch of crap."

The whole class sat up and turned to face him, then variously looked from Luke to Bradley to Trevor.

"The rest of us are talking about an actual story, with real words written on paper, about a character that obviously is well thought out, richly developed and with a characterization that is vivid enough for the rest of us to have developed an opinion on how we relate to him. This isn't some hypothetical 'construct' that's supposed to spit out literature like a paint-by-numbers set. These are real thoughts that Luke's put out there for us to talk about. Can you try and stay on topic and talk about Luke's writing instead of trying to impress us with your pretentious Ivy League bullshit?"

The rest of the class looked away uncomfortably, although a few of them subtly tried to hide grins. Luke tried to avoid eye contact and pretended to make notes on his story.

It was Tessa who finally broke the silence. "I agree with Trevor. I don't care exactly _why _Luke's characters come to life – well, I do, in that I hope to understand what makes them real so that I can learn from that and use it in my own writing, but I don't really care if it's because his work is an archetype of romantic love or courtly love or even pathological love. I'm here because I want to be a better writer, not a lit major. And though I get it — studying literature will help my writing — I'm here to focus on the writing part. I think that's why most of us are here."

Trevor smiled appreciatively at Tessa, as several of the other students silently nodded their agreement.

Alex decided it was time to intervene, "Okay then, let's talk about why Luke's characters come to life." Luke dared to glance up and saw that Alex was staring at him with an almost imperceptible smile.

Luke listened as his classmates bantered about Darien's "characterization" and "back story," some quoting from the piece. ..."I love the phrase 'with an accent as smooth as the leather on his Tanino Crisci wingtips.' "..."The fact that he smiles with pride when his daughter attempts blackmail? That kills me! And it seems so in character."... "I can't quite figure out why I don't hate Darien. He seems like a complete selfish jerk. But I don't hate him as a character. There's something about him."..."It's almost like he's a drug - irresistable..."

"Luke, you seem like a really nice guy. How did you get inside the head of someone as nasty as Darien," Melissa asked.

"Um..." Luke hesitated. "Well, I thought about some of the stories I'd seen in the news and tried to see if I could explain the person behind them. You know, kind of a 'crimes of passion,' 'ripped from the headlines' kind of thing."

"You did a great job, Luke," said William, and aspiring poet working on an Edwin Arlington Robinson biography.

Alex shortly drew the discussion to a close and began describing the evening's assignment.

Luke smiled shyly and caught Tessa's eye as she smugly mouthed back, "Told you."


	15. and Good Dad

**Chapter 15: **** …and Good Dad**

Luke was emotionally drained by the end of class. Though long after the books and papers were packed up, his friends continued to encourage him to join them, he begged off lunch to take a walk along the river. The cold air helped clear his head and cool his cheeks.

Stopping underneath a bridge to watch the pieces of broken ice cascade over a small drop in the river, Luke tried to get his arms around his feelings about Damian. Just last night, he'd considered giving Damian another chance, yet by the end of class, he was ready to wring Damian's neck. What had changed? Damian had always been over the top – blackmailing, lying, cheating, hurting Lily, using Meg and Faith, undermining Holden. That was nothing new. But by the end of class he'd been angrier at Damian than he could recall. Angry at Damian...for going after Reid.

Luke paused for a moment, trying decide what exactly he thought of Damian Grimaldi when the cell phone ringing in his bag brought him out of his reverie. Thinking it was a bit early in the day for Reid to be calling, Luke was surprised to see that the caller ID displayed Holden's number.

"Dad!" Luke said happily. "I was just thinking about you, among other things! Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, Luke," Holden reassured him.

"How's the fundraiser?" asked Luke, continuing to walk along the river. "It hasn't been too much to ask of you, is it?"

"Don't worry, Luke. Your ED's doing a great job, so Lily and I only have to attend a few meetings here and there and act as a sounding board. I'm just calling because your mom and I flipped a coin to decide who should call you and I won."

"You didn't have to flip a coin – you could have both called me," Luke replied, with a bit of disappointment.

"We know," Holden answered. "But I promised we wouldn't pressure you and we'd give you your space on this trip. So that's what we've been trying to do. How's it going? You ready to abandon ship and come home?" he joked.

"So far so good," said Luke. "I haven't made a total ass of myself and I've been getting some writing done. I'd completely forgotten what it was like to have the freedom to write about just about anything – not at all like drafting a bid request for elevator shafts...or bedpans."

"Are you enjoying it?" Holden laughed.

"Yeah, I guess I am," said Luke. "But the best part isn't the writing. It's the time I've had to just sit with my thoughts...and the people."

"The people? I would've thought a writer's retreat would be reclusive – a bunch of bearded, unshowered writers holed up in hovels."

"No, not quite," Luke laughed. "Reid really chose well – great facilities. No hovels, and no Unabombers. Mostly reasonably well-adjusted 20- and 30-somethings. We spend our mornings talking in this great conference room with wall-to-wall windows overlooking the river. And then I have this cute little cottage to myself for the rest of the day. It's like a dorm but less institutional, bigger, better decorated, and not so dumpy."

"So who're the people you mentioned?"

"Well there's a group of about five or six of us who hang out, depending on the day. There's this girl Tessa, and this guy Trevor, and a few others, but I really like Tessa and Trevor. It's like they 'get' me. Being here, with them, reminds me of being back at O.U. But without the pressure, the grades... Or the politics." Luke swallowed. He came to a bench along the riverside path and sat down.

The whole election fiasco at O.U. had been on his mind since it had come up with Tessa the previous week. When he'd told her he was expelled, she seemed surprised, but unperturbed. Since then, Luke had often thought about raising it with Holden, but wasn't sure how exactly to bring it up. His mind kept wandering back to a conversation he'd overheard between Reid and Holden.

**

* * *

**

A few weeks after Luke moved in with Reid, they held a small housewarming party for themselves, Holden, Lily, Faith, Natalie, and Ethan. Luke had wanted to invite Emma, Lucinda, and Katie, among others, but Reid had drawn the line.

Lily helped Luke with final preparations in the kitchen, while Faith, Natalie, and Holden watched a DVD of _High School Musical. _Luke laughed as Natalie tried to coax Holden into joining in the chorus of "Stick to the Status Quo," with Faith as a reluctant accomplice. Ethan noticed Reid's chess set in the corner and shyly tugged on his arm, asking if he could play with it.

Reid's intuitive response was to make a snide remark about chess being a grown-up game, but then he recalled his own childhood and decided he ought to give the boy a chance. "All right, young man," he said. "Let's see what you've got."

Luke watched with curiosity as Reid moved a chair from the kitchen into the living room, and set up the board on the seat. Reid fished two cushions out from behind Holden's back and tossed them on the ground, sitting on one, and patting the one next to him for Ethan to sit on. "Have you ever played chess before?" he asked.

Ethan shook his head.

"Well, let's see – do you like brown or green?" he asked, pointing to the carved amber and jade pieces.

"Green!" declared Ethan, "They're like the aliens from Ben 10!"

"Okay," Reid laughed at the rationale. "Green it is. I'll be brown. If you look at the pieces, there are a bunch of different shapes. This one here with the crown on top, who do you think it could be?"

"The king?" Ethan asked uncertainly.

"Exactly," said Reid. "Do you play checkers?"

Ethan nodded.

"Do you know how you capture the other guy's pieces by taking them off the board?"

Ethan nodded again.

"Chess is a little like that in that you want to capture the other guy's pieces. But unlike in checkers where all the pieces are the same, in chess you have lots of different pieces. And the king's the most important. The goal of the game is to capture the other person's king first. Does that make sense?"

"Um, I guess so."

"All the other pieces are there to help protect your king, and to chase after the other guy's king. Each of the different kinds of pieces moves in a different way across the board. Like this one - what's this one look like?"

"A castle?"

"Right again. A castle can only move across the board this way." Reid moved his rook across the board to demonstrate. "How about this one?" he asked, holding up a bishop. "What's it look like?"

Ethan made a funny face trying to figure out what it could be. "Um, a rocket ship?"

"Close enough," laughed Reid. "The rockets can only move across the board diagonally. Do you know what diagonally means?" Ethan nodded uncertainly as Reid demonstrated.

"Okay. Let's make this simple to start. Let's say there are only two pieces on the board: your castle and my king." Reid placed the pieces on the board. "If my king is anywhere your castle can go, you can capture my king – like this." Reid pointed to the row and column in the rook's path and placed the king down in various places, capturing it with the rook each time.

"If my king _isn't_ in your castle's path, like this," Reid set up the pieces again, "You can try to move your castle so you might need to make two moves to capture my king. Like this." He demonstrated several examples of moving the castle on the board in L-shaped patterns.

"So if I put my king here, and your castle there, how would you capture my king?"

Ethan thought for awhile and tentatively moved his castle first across the board sideways and then forwards. "Like this?"

"Well done, Ethan!" Reid smiled and Ethan smiled back. After a few more examples, Reid continued, "Okay, now try this." Reid set up several pieces as obstacles on the board. "I want you to try to use your castle to catch my king again. This time, if you bump into any of my other brown pieces, you can capture them as well. If you bump into one of your green pieces, you have to stop next to them and change direction. Get it?" Ethan nodded, and setting his jaw looked for his first move.

Luke was so busy stealing glances at Reid and Ethan that he forgot to pay attention to what he was doing. The pasta boiled over, leaving a big, sloppy puddle on the stove. Lily grabbed a dish towel and helped Luke mop up the mess, whispering, "I didn't know he had it in him."

"Who, Reid, or Ethan?" Luke joked.

"Both," smiled Lily.

By the time Natalie tried to get Holden up to dance to "Bop to the Top" he was looking for an escape. Leaning over the back of the couch, he watched as Reid added increasingly more obstacles to the board, and Ethan skilfully navigated his rook around them.

"Pretty impressive, Ethan," Holden smiled. Ethan beamed back. And turning to Reid, added, "So, I guess you play?"

"A little," Reid replied.

"Wanna play?" asked Holden, looking for any excuse to get away from the treacly DVD. Luke overheard and almost choked on his soda, the phrase "lamb to a slaughter" dancing in his head.

"All right," Reid agreed. "Can we finish this later, Ethan?"

"Sure, Reid!" Ethan replied. "Can I watch you and dad play?"

"Okay, but no fair helping your dad win, okay? Deal?"

"Deal," said Ethan, shaking Reid's hand. "Thanks for playing with me, Reid." Ethan smiled easily at Reid, and he found himself smiling back.

"Why don't we get the table out from in front of the TV?" suggested Holden, pointing to the coffee table. Reid walked around the couch and together they moved the table to the side. Ethan gingerly carried the chess board over to the table and watched as the men set up their pieces. As they set up the board, Holden casually named the rest of the pieces and explained where they went and how they move.

Holden and Reid began playing, and Luke was surprised to hear them chatting comfortably. Though a fan of his home-town Red Sox, Reid shared Holden's fondness for the St. Louis Cardinals, and they intermittantly debated the relative merits of the 1967 and 2006 teams, whether Dizzy Dean could strike out Albert Pujols, and how Stan Musial would have fared at Busch Stadium.

The number of pieces slowly dwindled as Reid and Holden segued naturally into local politics. Luke continued to eavesdrop, as nonchalantly as he could, looking up occasionally from the vegetables he was chopping for the salad.

Reid was complaining about the ineptitude of the bureaucrats delaying the hospital wing construction, and Holden lent a sympathetic ear.

"Part of the problem is that the people who end up in office aren't always the ones who deserve to be there," Holden said.

"Well that's because people who are actually competent won't put up with the crap...um, stuff it takes to get elected," Reid agreed. Glancing awkwardly at Natalie and Ethan, Reid muttered, "Sorry 'bout that."

"I can't imagine how hard it must be for someone who actually cares about the issues to step up," said Holden. "All the negative campaigning these days, it's a total turn-off to voters. It seems like it's only the extremists who bother to vote, so we end up with these nut jobs in office."

"And when someone does finally step up, the spin doctors find some totally bogus skeleton in their closet – like their grandmother inhaled," countered Reid.

"It makes you miss the days when campaigning consisted of whistle stop tours, town meetings and spontaneous conversations with candidates, not these airbrushed poster boys (and girls)," said Holden wistfully.

"Maybe you remember those days, gramps," joked Reid, "But remember, I come from the land of the Kennedys. Camelot and Mitt Romney. There hasn't been anything unplanned about Massachusetts politics in decades."

"What I wouldn't give to have a sincere candidate to vote for, for a change," said Holden. "I'd be willing to forgive a lot of sins if someone would just commit to doing the right thing. I'd have a lot of respect for someone who has the guts to admit their mistakes and stand up for what they believe in."

"I agree," said Reid, taking Holden's queen bishop in the process.

Luke and Lily had finished getting dinner ready, and Faith had humoured Natalie in a dance-along to "We're All in This Together." With the movie's closing credits playing the background, all eyes turned to Holden and Reid. As their match reached its climax, their conversation became sparser. Luke watched closely as Reid deployed the same strategy that had defeated him on numerous occasions. And he watched as Holden played into the trap, misled into a false sense of security by the occasional capture.

"Checkmate."

Luke's jaw dropped open when he realized that the word had come from Holden's mouth, not Reid's. He turned to Reid, about to ask how the hell that had happened, but Reid cast him a cautionary glance and then turned to Holden and said, "Good game."

"Thanks," replied Holden. "We should do that again sometime."

"Yeah, I'd like that," smiled Reid catching Luke's eye.

**

* * *

**

"Politics?" asked Holden in surprise. "What's politics got to do with a writer's retreat."

"Not much, I guess," said Luke nervously. "But the retreat reminds me of O.U., and it's hard for me to think about O.U. without thinking of..."

Luke's voice trailed off and Holden completed his thought for him, "The election?"

"Well, yeah."

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Holden gently.

"I'm not sure if I do or not," answered Luke.

"What brings it to mind?"

"It just kind of came up when I was talking to Tessa the other day."

"And?" Holden paused and waited for Luke to find his words.

"I was surprised. She didn't seem all that bothered by it."

"Why does that surprise you?"

"Well, to me it felt like the end of the world. And when the whole thing went down, I remember promising you I'd fix things, that I didn't want mom to buy my way back into O.U."

"I remember that, too."

"Well, it just doesn't feel like I've done much of a job fixing anything. And I don't think I ever said I'm sorry – I'm sorry for getting kicked out of school, and I'm sorry I haven't managed to fix things since..."

"Luke, you don't have to apologize to me. You made a mistake. It was a big one, but you owned up to what you did, accepted the consequences, and moved on. If there's anyone you should apologize to, it's yourself.

"Yeah, but dad," Luke continued, "I never finished school. That was so important to you and mom, and I let you down."

"Luke, school was only important because we wanted you to have the best shot to do whatever it is that you want to do, not because we wanted you to get a piece of paper to hang on the wall. Are you thinking of trying to re-enroll?"

"No," Luke replied. "Well, yes. Um, no. Well, maybe?"

"Well, that was a clearcut decision," laughed Holden. "Do you miss it?"

Luke thought for a moment before replying, "Not really. I guess what I loved about it was that it was something I was sharing with Noah. We hung out with our friends, we went to classes and horsed around. And the classes were okay, but I get more challenging questions from Reid at dinner than from most of the profs I had. With Noah gone, and Ali done, and Casey going on to law school, I'd feel like some totally over-the-hill loser trying to fit in with a bunch of teenagers."

"So what's the problem?" asked Holden gently.

"I just don't want to be a disappointment any more. I want to make things right."

"Luke, think about what you've done with yourself in the last year. You've stopped drinking. You've taken the reins at Grimaldi Shipping. Your foundation is backing the Snyder Pavilion development. And you, Luke, are personally its biggest champion."

"Yeah, but..."

"No buts, Luke. I am so proud to call you my son. I love you for everything you are, so don't run off doing things just because you think you owe it to anyone but yourself."

Luke paused, unsure what to say.

"You still there, Luke?" asked Holden

"Yeah."

"You know I love you. So does your mother. And so does Reid."

"Oh, come on, dad. How would you know about Reid?" Luke glanced at his watch and began walking back to campus.

"Well, for one thing, you can see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice whenever he talks about you."

"Yeah, right, and when was the last time you talked to Reid about _me?_" asked Luke smugly.

"Well, for starters, he's been calling your mom and me every few nights to let us know you're okay" replied Holden matter-of-factly.

"He _has_?" Luke asked incredulously. "He never said anything about that to me!"

"And then the night before last, he stopped by the house to play chess with Ethan. He even brought Natalie a Hannah Montana diary. I guess it was a light night for Pavilion meetings, so Jack and I went to Yo's with him to shoot some pool and watch the game."

"He d_ You_ did what_?" _Luke asked.

"And what's so funny about playing pool at Yo's?" asked Holden. "Your old man's not _that _old."

"It's not that," Luke protested. "I just can't picture Reid hanging out with the Snyder boys!" He started to wonder if he had wandered into a twilight zone. "This is _my_ Reid you're talking about, right? Rude, cold, abrasive? Poor people skills?" And added a bit warily: "He didn't try to tell Jack that the Oakdale PD are dumber than rocks, did he?"

"No, as a matter of fact, he was on his best behavior," Holden reassured him. "He puts up that wall of his, but once you get to know him, there's actually a decent person underneath that gruff exterior. You of all people should know that."

"That's what I've been trying to tell mom for _months_!" Luke exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, your mom worries about you. She just wants you to be happy."

"I get the feeling she's still worried about my virtue or something!"

"Don't worry about your mother. She'll come around."

"I know."

"Listen, Luke, you've got to stop beating yourself up for things that happened in the past, and accept yourself for who you are. Those of us who love you do."

"I'll take that under advisement."

"This wasn't exactly the conversation I was expecting to have when I called you," laughed Holden. "I thought I was going to ask you how the cafeteria food was and whether the grammar police are out in full force."

"The food's fine, dad," Luke replied. "And I think I am gonna stick it out. So I'll see you in a couple of weeks."

Luke found himself back on campus, approaching the student center. "Listen, I should run – I've got an assignment to do for tonight. Tell mom I love her; and give Ethan and the girls a hug and kiss for me?"

"Will do," said Holden.

"And dad?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For being my dad."

"I love you, too, Luke. Talk to you soon."


	16. Feisty

**Chapter 16: Fiesty**

"Guess where we're going today!" chirped Katie.

Reid cocked an eyebrow at her, "Disneyland?"

"No, you're coming wedding dress shopping with me," she smiled.

"Have you been watching too many reruns of _Queer Eye_?" asked Reid.

"Don't be ridiculous," answered Katie. "But it was either you or Henry and even you're better than Henry."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence – remind me to tell Hank he owes me big time. Can't I just stay and watch the kid instead," asked Reid, searching for an escape route.

"Jacob's already at Emma's," said Katie. "Aw, c'mon Reid," said Katie. "I know you have Saturdays off now. And since Luke's away, what have you got that's better to do?"

"Um, let's see. Washing my hair, organizing my underwear drawer, and beating my head against the wall until it becomes a bloody pulp?"

"Reid!" exclaimed Katie, mock-slugging him in the shoulder. "Come on – you're my maid of honor. I need you for this!"

"I don't believe I'm letting you talk me into this," groaned Reid.

"Perfect," said Katie, "We'd better get going. I have a fitting scheduled at Fashions!"

Katie handed him the remains of his bagel, poured his coffee into a travel cup and then literally pushed him out the door towards the car.

Fifteen minutes later, Reid and Katie arrived at Fashions. Barbara's staff brought them each a cup of herbal tea served in delicate pink and white porcelain cups and saucers, while Barbara left them to review the options.

Light classical music played in the background, and the sounds of Pachelbel and Eric Satie set the mood. The front of the showroom was fitted with three angled oversized floor-length windows, each framed with elaborately ornamented white wooden trim. Centered between the mirrors was a carpeted dark pink dais, while the walls behind were strung with long strands of white tulle and faux vines.

Sitting down on the large gold brocade fainting couch across from the mirrors, Reid stiffly sat down and pulled out a copy of the _Journal of Neurosurgery._

In the dressing rooms, Barbara's assistants fussed and fluffed, outfitting Katie in dress after dress. Several she rejected outright, but a few caught her attention. The first was an off-the-shoulder dress of Irish linen with cap sleeves. Reid looked up briefly from his journal and shrugged.

Next was a strapless mermaid-style dress in a peachy charmeuse. "I'll call Doogie and tell him you've left him for Charlie the Tuna," quipped Reid.

A daring one-shouldered dress with a high slit lined in red was greeted with, "Are you getting married or taking all comers?"

And so it went for a half-dozen choices. About an hour into the session, Katie came out of modeling a sleeveless white dress with a purple pleated cummerbund and a thin cord of purple satin cord along the neckline. Reid glanced up from his journal "I thought you were going to be the bride at this wedding, not the groom." Katie made a face at him and marched back into the dressing room.

Reid yelled back, "Hey, Katie, how many more of these damn things are there? "

"Only three more," she replied.

"Does god have no mercy?" Reid replied.

Katie's next dress was a simple sleeveless A-line in an off-white silk, bespeckled with an occasional rhinestone. Reid looked up and was surprised to find that the dress was actually quite becoming. Reid had always liked Katie's shoulders because they reflected her strength of character. This dress showed off her shoulders quite nicely, and had none of the pretentious flounces, poufs, or over-engineered sexiness of the earlier alternatives.

Katie took note of the extra beat before his response. "That one's actually not bad," he said, the corners of his mouth just barely tilting upwards in a small half-smile.

Katie smiled broadly and turned to the sales assistant. "I'll take it."

* * *

Reid had finished his journal, and was rereading the footnotes of the second article when Katie finally finished selecting a veil and undergarments and put down her deposit. Reid was only thankful that when Barbara's assistant offered Katie the bridesmaid dress portfolio that Katie was able to politely decline.

"Thanks for coming, Reid," said Katie. "I'll take you to Al's – my treat."

As they stepped outside into the cool January air, Reid began "I still can't believe I let you talk me into..."

"Oh look, Reid!" Katie interrupted, "Pearson's is still open. Come on in with me for a few minutes."

"Katie..." Reid warned, his patience getting thin.

"Oh, come on, Reid," begged Katie, "It'll only take a few minutes. Don't make me ask Henry."

"Oh all right, I'll come," agreed Reid. "We wouldn't want Doogie to look a pimp on steroids..." then Reid stopped in his tracks and smiled mischievously. "Or would we...?"

"Reid!" said Katie grabbing him by the arm and steering him in. Katie and Reid waited for the sales clerk to finish with her other customer. A woman in her early fifties, with hair a shade or two on the far side of orange, with bright pink lipstick and green eyeshadow, she did a brief double-take when she saw Reid.

"Good afternoon," she gushed. "How can I help you?"

"We'd like to look at wedding rings," replied Katie.

"Oh, how sweet!" exclaimed the clerk. "I love it when a couple shops together for the rings. You'll end up with a much better choice!"

Reid and Katie exchanged bewildered glances. "Oh, no," said Reid. "She's the only one shopping." He pointed vigorously at Katie and then took two steps backwards to create some distance between himself and the counter.

"Oh, I see," said the clerk knowingly, gawping at Reid. "You're letting her choose her own! What a sweetie you are!"

Reid took a step forwards so he could turn his back to the clerk momentarily. "Did she really just bat her eyelashes at me?" he mouthed, looking horrified. Katie flashed him a "be nice" look.

"Um, no," said Katie, trying to catch the clerk's attention. _"I'm_ shopping for a man's ring."

The clerk continued to focus on Reid. "Why you little devil. You've already taken care of hers, haven't you? What a charmer you are!" She gave him a big wink and another smile.

Reid grimaced and muttered, "Look, toots. Perhaps you are as dim as you are desperate, but the lady here would like to see some men's rings. Can you just show her the damned rings so we can get out of here?"

The sales clerk finally got the message. Taking Katie by the arm, she escorted Katie and Reid over to the case containing wedding bands. "Touchy one, ain't he. Must be feisty in bed, you lucky girl!"

Katie chuckled silently but decided it would be in her best interests not to laugh out loud. Instead she replied, "Thanks. Can we have a few minutes please?" She leaned forward to assess the shops' collection of wedding bands.

"You owe me, big time," Reid announced.

"What do you think?" asked Katie, ignoring him. "Brad's had a black onyx inlay, so obviously I can't do that again. They say platinum is very fashionable these days, even for men. So are two-tones. But gold is so classic. What do you think of that one over there with the braiding on the side?"

Reid shot her a withering glare. "Katie, why the hell do you care what I think?"

Katie stood her ground: "Because you're my friend and I value your opinion."

Reid couldn't resist that response, so he sighed deeply and reluctantly took a step forward, peering cautiously into the case, as if one might jump out and bite him unexpectedly. "I guess that one's okay" he said, pointing to one of the plain gold bands.

"Plain and simple," said Katie. "Hmm."

The clerk decided to make her reappearance at this time. "So, kids, have we come to a decision?"

"Yes indeed," said Katie.

"And what might that be, honey?" asked the clerk.

"I've decided it's time for us to go get lunch," she replied. And with that, she gave the sales clerk a dazzling smile, turned on her heels and strolled out the front door.

Reid stared at her momentarily, bewildered, then gained his senses and ran after her, grabbing her by the arm. "What do you mean it's time for lunch? What's the point of looking if you weren't going to buy anything?"

"This is what distinguishes men from women, Reid," Katie lectured. "Didn't they teach you that in med school? Women shop to figure out what they want, not necessarily to buy stuff! I'll come back next week when I'm actually ready to make a purchase."

"Thank god I'm gay," said Reid.

* * *

"Seriously?" Luke was saying. He was laughing so hard his side hurt. "She really asked Katie if you were good in bed?"

"Fiesty," muttered Reid.

"_Feisty_?" laughed, Luke, gasping for breath.

"The nerve of that busybody!" Reid tried to muster as much indignation as he could.

"What did Katie say?"

"She had the good sense not to reply!"

"I could've answered for her," Luke joked.

"Sure you remember the answer? It's been awhile."

"That is one quiz question I know I would ace!" replied Luke. Then, feeling emboldened, he added, "I'd do even better if it's open-ended instead of multiple choice...Go ahead – test me and I'll prove it!"

"Are you propositioning me, Mr. Snyder?"

"Well, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck..."


	17. Two Weeks

**Chapter 17: Two Weeks**

After two weeks of writing exercises, group feedback, and isolated writing time, Luke had started to recover his voice – at least figuratively. Instead of spending hours banging his head against the wall figuring out HOW to write, words were beginning to flow again. He was finding the bigger challenge was now figuring out WHAT he wanted to say – deciding what he wanted to write about.

For most of the first week, on top of worrying about his (rusty) writing style (or lack thereof), he also worried incessantly about what people would find interesting. The first few critiques were torture. Luke beat himself up endlessly about everything from topics and word choices, to organization, grammar and phrasing.

But after two weeks of hearing the rest of the class's work torn to shreds and reassembled, word by word, clause by clause, he'd come to the conclusion that if he wrote about something he was passionate about, that he could create interest in sometimes even seemingly mundane topics, and the writing started to come more naturally. Instead of a struggle and a chore, Luke was beginning to enjoy the writing process again: coming up with the concept, developing the outline, and then filling in the blanks, though he found he could stand to live without the editing and rewriting part.

Luke had called Lily Thursday evening and spent most of the night catching up with her, Ethan, and Nathalie, and then spent most of Friday evening reviewing the annual budget for Grimaldi. So when Saturday morning came, he had turned down invitations to the movies and later to a midnight game of broomball in order to finish his weekend assignment and catch up on the routine onslaught of foundation, hospital, and Grimaldi emails.

The audit was proceeding smoothly, and as he suspected, Marcus had done a top-notch job sniffing out Damian's more suspect dealings and making sure Grimaldi's business practices were beyond reproach. Luke trusted Marcus's judgment and by midway through the second week Luke realized that he was essentially rubber stamping all of Marcus's decisions. Luke was secretly pleased on the rare occasions they disagreed, as he actually felt like he was making a material difference, but usually the two were able to quickly come to an agreement on any of their disputes as Luke's proposals were typically number two or three on Marcus's list of options.

The more he worked with Marcus, the more aware he became of how closely aligned their priorities were – the big difference was that Marcus actually enjoyed working the numbers, making the tough decisions, and executing on the operational plan. Luke, on the other hand, was starting to grow weary of the near-daily trickle of questions about hiring freezes, oil prices, purchasing agreements and disgruntled customers that Marcus forwarded to keep him in the loop.

In contrast, Luke found himself actually looking forward to the emails he got from the Foundation and the hospital. The Foundation fundraiser was chugging along without a hitch. This was the second annual event, and Ellen Shapiro, Luke's Executive Director had done her homework. They'd targeted the last Saturday in January – after Christmas, before taxes, and just before the big charity galas hosted by the YMCA and the Oakdale Art Society. Last year's event exceeded projections by nearly 10%. This year, under Holden and Lily's guidance they'd finalized the catering menus, charity auction donations, table assignments, and the annual awards presentations, and looked to improve on the prior year's successes.

The primary honoree for this year's event was the founder of the Oakdale homeless shelter, one of the Foundation's very first grant recipients. Due to the prolonged cold spell this winter, it was serving record numbers, so the Foundation's contributions to Oakdale House operating funds were being put to particularly good use. The Foundation had also earmarked funds for counseling and other services for the gay homeless population, to help them cope with discrimination and avoid the disturbingly common abuse they faced on the streets. One former client had written the shelter to report that she had come out to her family at Christmastime and had returned home to finish school. The shelter staff had scanned the letter and Saturday morning it arrived in Luke's In Box where he reread it with pride several times while sipping his morning coffee.

But overall, aside from personal emails including several from Ethan and Nathalie, Luke found he looked forward to his hospital-related emails most of all, even though most of them dealt with pedestrian planning details. Aside from the fact that occasionally Reid wrote them himself – typically terse, incomplete sentences, to the point and wholly devoid of sentiment – Luke liked feeling needed, and even the Pavilion planning minutiae allowed him to feel like he was staying in touch with the project.

Luke and Reid had worked so closely on the surgical wing planning for so long, it had become part of his very being. They had spent so many long hours debating the best courses of action and planning for the long-term future of the wing, that Luke felt very possessive – like it was "their baby." Staying on top of his Pavilion responsibilities gave him a sense of normalcy amidst the surreal and carefree setting of the writers' retreat. Plus, knowing how rarely Reid actually sat in front of the computer himself, Luke had to admit, he got a kick out of picturing Reid's odd six-fingered, error-prone typing rhythm, knowing that each 100-word precis was in reality a 10-minute labor of love.

Luke managed to get caught up by mid-afternoon, and spent a working dinner on the weekend assignment: rewriting a famous passage in the style of an entirely different writer. Luke spent several hours painstakingly reworking Faulkner's _Intruder in the Dust, _one of the most mind-numbingly dull reads he could recall, in the style of Mark Twain.

By the time Reid had called Saturday evening, he was glad he had stayed in, since he was able to chat without feeling guilty or wondering how he was going to make up for the lost time. Hearing about Reid's adventures with Katie had left a smile glued on his face long after sleep claimed him at the end of their marathon call.

* * *

Luke's industrious Saturday left him free to take Tessa up on her offer to go "hang" at the local mall on Sunday – among other things, he could use a new phone. His cell phone had died sometime between his conversation with Lily Thursday evening and Saturday morning, which he decided was a blessing in disguise. Between the all-morning budget review with Marcus on Saturday, and his call with Reid Saturday night, Luke found himself grateful for the excuse to use the cottage landline (and its speakerphone), saving him from a nasty case of cauliflower ear.

Tessa knocked on his door just after 10am and they made their way to the campus bus stop to catch the university shuttle to the Coral Ridge Mall. They made a beeline for the Best Buy where Luke tried out virtually every handset on display before Tessa finally put her foot down, declaring, "Luke, for heaven's sake! We've been here for over an hour! This is a device with a half-life of eight months! Just buy an iPhone and let's get some lunch. I'm starving!"

Luke continued to hesitate until the sales rep started demonstrating apps – after seeing the family photo album, chess, and Shazam apps, he was sold. After another 20 minutes debating color, accessories and Bluetooth headsets, he was fully kitted out and they made their way down the mall's main corridor.

"How about Japanese?" Tessa asked, pointing to the chain stall in the food court.

Luke wrinkled his nose. "That barely counts as Japanese," he said.

"Snob," said Tessa.

"I just can't do bad Japanese any more," Luke declared. "We found this great little Japanese place near..." Tessa looked up expectantly as Luke started to say "the hospital" but then stopped himself and continued, "...work where the sushi chef is like your best friend from high school."

"You haven't met my best friend from high school," Tessa joked. "Big hair, fake boobs, blue frost eyeshadow. Doesn't sound like your sushi chef."

"No, you're right about that!" laughed Luke. "Somehow I can't picture Toshi wearing blue frost eyeshadow..."

"Okay, so Japanese is out," Tessa conceded. "How about fried chicken."

"Too greasy," said Luke.

"Italian?" Tessa tried.

"Too heavy."

"Taco Bell?"

"Too...faux Mexican."

"Okay, I give up," said Tessa in exasperation. "YOU choose."

"I'm not really in the mood for fast food. How about Chili's?" Luke asked. "My treat?"

"You don't need to pay for me, Luke."

"It'll be my treat – I owe you."

"For what?"

"For giving me a nasty bruise on the shin!" Luke smiled, remembering the swift kick Tessa had delivered under the table to make him pay attention to the last class discussion.

"You deserved it!"

"I guess so," Luke admitted. "But you made me volunteer, and you made me listen, and I learned a lot. So I figure I do owe you. Let me pay for lunch?"

"Okay, you win," Tessa smiled.

They continued chatting comfortably as the waitress led them to their table, sliding into a booth across from each other as the waitress introduced herself and handed them their menus.

"I told you the buzz about your writing is good," Tessa injected smugly. "But you, Mr. Snyder, spend way too much time daydreaming about your dear texting dreamboat to notice what the heck is going on around you."

Luke's ears perked up at the words "Mr Snyder" and he found his mind wandering.

"Hello? Earth to Luke," Tessa waved her hands in front of Luke's face to get his attention. "This is exactly what I'm talking about! Where the heck did you just go?"

"Sorry," Luke replied. "Force of habit."

"Well force yourself to change it!" Tessa scolded. "Haven't you two gotten over the honeymoon phase yet? How long have you guys been together anyways?"

Luke counted the months in his head. July, August, September, October, November, December, and half of January. "Just over six months, give or take a month. Or two."

"Give or take a month or two?"

"It's complicated," Luke said, trying to find an escape route. "Speaking of getting together," Luke redirected, "I think Trevor has a thing for you."

Tessa blushed and pretended to read her menu. "What makes you think that?"

"Well," Luke smiled, "For one thing, he cornered me after lunch the other day and asked me if you and I had hooked up!"

"He did NOT!" Tessa gasped.

"Yeah," Luke confirmed, "He did!"

"So what did you tell him?" Tessa asked.

"I told him that, as a matter of fact, you were not only taken, but incredible in bed," Luke deadpanned.

Tessa's mouth dropped open before the smile tugging at the corners of Luke's mouth gave him away. "You did not!" she exclaimed, standing up to bop him over the head with her menu. "Don't scare me like that, Luke! Do you WANT me to die of embarrassment?"

"Okay – you're right. I didn't. I told him he had to ask you. But does that mean YOU have a thing for Trevor, too?" asked Luke playfully.

"Me?" asked Tessa, protesting with just a tad too much forcefulness. "No way! For starters, he's married, remember?"

"Oh yeah, I guess," Luke conceded.

"You guess? You're either married or you're not. It's like being half-pregnant," Tessa said.

"I dunno," Luke replied. "You've heard him describe Doris as often as I have." Then he sat up straighter, leaned his left elbow on the table, crossed his foot onto his knee, and twisted to the side – the way Trevor often did in class – modulating his voice before declaring, "My wife's an old fusspot."

"Luke!" Tessa laughed. "That's not nice...though that's actually a pretty good Trevor imitation. What if he and the fusspot are a match made in heaven."

Luke gave her a look that said, "Are you even remotely serious?"

Tessa continued: "Look, Trevor calling his wife a fusspot is one thing. Getting involved with a married man who says his wife is a fusspot is another. I am NOT a homewrecker."

"I'm not saying you should be," Luke said. "But maybe there's no home left to wreck."

"What do you mean?"

Just then, their waitress returned to take their orders. Luke realized he had not even opened his menu yet, so he took a quick glance while Tessa announced, "I'll have what I always have – can I have a taco salad, please, but with no olives, no onions, extra tomatoes, and dressing on the side? And an iced tea – lemon, no sugar and an extra glass of ice?"

Luke was finding it hard to concentrate on his menu while listening to Tessa's order and decided on an easy alternative: "That sounds pretty good. Can I have a taco salad, too, and a large lemonade? Thanks."

The waitress took their menus and let them know she'd be back shortly with their drinks.

Tessa picked up the conversation where they'd left off. "If Trevor and Doris are so over, why are they still together?"

Luke shrugged and replied, "I dunno. Sometimes people stick together because it's familiar, or they think it's the right thing to do. Not because they're still in love and want to be together."

"How can you say that, Luke?" Tessa prodded. "How do I know he's not just interested in me because I'm convenient...and I'm not Doris."

"He's not interested in you because you're 'not Doris,' " Luke said. "He likes you for you. And if he weren't really interested, he wouldn't put himself on the line to ask me about it. Doris has nothing to do with it. You've heard their story: They got married just after high school because Doris was pregnant; but then she lost the baby. I'm not sure they were in love when they got married, never mind now."

Tessa allowed herself briefly to be swayed by Luke's argument. "But they've been together for years? Why would he decide NOW that things are over? How did you know things were over between you and Noah?" asked Tessa, searching his eyes for a response.

Luke toyed with his paper napkin, folding it in neat little pleats, studiously avoiding eye contact as the waitress deposited their drinks on the table; Luke waited until she left before replying, "In hindsight, things were rocky for a long time, but I don't think I was in a place where I could recognize that and do anything about it."

Tessa took a sip of her iced tea and waited patiently for Luke to continue.

"Noah was my first love," Luke began. "Well, there was this other guy I was crushing on, but he was straight, and well...let's just say that did not turn out how I imagined it at all." Luke laughed awkwardly.

"Been there, done that." Tessa smiled sympathetically.

"Even Noah wasn't sure he was gay when I first met him..."

"He wasn't sure?" Tessa asked, wrinkling her nose incredulously.

"Well, he was pretty messed up. His dad was hardcore military and a serious, serious homophobe," Luke explained.

"Ooohhhh. That could be a problem."

"Yup. BIG problem. So Noah was so far in the closet when we first met, he hooked up with one of my best friends, Maddie."

"Matty? I thought you said he was in the closet."

"No, not Matty. Maddie, as in Madeline."

"Ohhhh... And Maddie was one of your best friends? That sounds...awkward."

"It was! But there was something about Noah that just drew me to him..."

"And then Luke Snyder's incredible animal magnetism sucked him in and turned him to the dark side?" Tessa joked.

"Oh, no, nothing like that," Luke blushed. "I think Noah was always unsure about his sexuality, but he never even let himself think about it. You know, because of his dad. I just kind of tipped the scale."

"So, in other words, when you and Noah started out, HE was in a relationship and YOU were the other guy...um, girl...um, you know what I mean?" Tessa asked.

"Well, I guess when you put it that way," said Luke.

The waitress glanced quizzically, first at Tessa as she spoke, then at Luke to gauge his expression. Then she made a big show of examining the heavy plates in her hands before announcing, "Who had the taco salad, straight up?"

"That would be me, I think," Luke said, not quite recognizing the waitress's description.

"That would make you the custom special, then," the waitress said to Tessa. "Anything else I can get you folks?"

Luke and Tessa shook their heads and said thanks, and the waitress gathered up her tray before moving on to her next order.

Luke continued: "You see, that's exactly what I mean, though. It's not like I set out to steal Noah away or anything. I mean, I was friends with both of them – really good friends. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Maddie - that was one of the reasons I pushed Noah to be honest with her."

"It didn't hurt your case either," Tessa said accusingly.

Luke scowled. "He knew I was gay and figured out that I kinda had a thing for him, but he made it clear he wasn't interested and it wouldn't go anywhere. If Noah wasn't into guys, there's no way it would have gone any further. But as it turns out, I was kind of in the right place at the right time."

"I would say it was a little more than that," Tessa said drily.

"Yeah, okay, maybe there was a little more to it than that," Luke conceded. "But if it wasn't me, it was going to be somebody. He could have kept his feelings in the closet for a long time, but he was eventually going to figure out that he likes boys."

"So you weren't a homewrecker because it was inevitable that Noah was going to break up with Maddie?"

"More or less. As badly as I wanted something to happen between Noah and me (and I REALLY, really wanted something to happen between us), the last thing I wanted to do was hurt Maddie," Luke replied. "But I could tell there was something between us – and if there was a spark between us, then eventually either he was going to be torn apart, or Maddie was going to get hurt even worse when the truth came out...so to speak."

"Yeah, well, whenever it happened, it had to be hard for her to find out that her boyfriend dumped her for a guy – and one of her best friends, at that!" Tessa grimaced.

"Things were definitely weird for awhile," Luke replied. "But luckily Maddie's smart and resilient. So smart she had already started to suspect something. And as it turns out, she and Noah were really good friends and still are."

"Okay, so Noah ditched poor Maddie and then the two of you hooked up."

"It wasn't just hooking up. He was my world for over two years. We did everything together, and for a long time I thought it would be forever. Noah was all I knew and all I wanted."

"What changed?"

"Well, he was my first love, so in a way, I didn't know any better. Does that sound cold?"

Tessa wasn't sure how to reply so she both shrugged and shook her head.

"I fell fast and hard. Within a few days, I was toast. And once he returned the feelings, I was in way too deep to climb out. I'd watched all my straight friends hook up and break up so many times, part of me was just ecstatic that someone I was attracted to actually turned out to be gay and liked me back! For a long time I saw only what I loved about him, and in my naïve little mind, I thought I was perfect for him, too."

"You weren't?"

"Let's put it this way: if I take a step back, I think Maddie would have been more perfect for him...well except for that little Y chromosome problem."

"You think?"

"I think so. They were both so in tune in both what they wanted out of life, and how they wanted to spend their time together. They could both spend every night watching old movies on the VCR – especially the black and white kind. With subtitles." Luke paused to roll his eyes. "And then they talk all the way through the movie. They could spend hours debating the merits of various cinematography schools. And they both craved moving onto bigger and better things, and basking in the glamour of big city life. Me? I'd rather stay in my nice little town in middle America, watch the Cubs game and go for walks in the park. So I don't think a happily ever after was in our cards. Noah and I had some great times together, and we make GREAT friends. But partners? Not so much."

"It took you two years to figure this out?"

"I don't think I wanted to figure it out before. I think part of me was always afraid that if I let Noah go, there wouldn't be anyone else, so if I just tried harder, and loved him more, that things would work out in the end."

"Love doesn't conquer all?"

"It might. But in Noah's case, I think it just smothered him, and us. Any time things got tough, all he wanted to do was fix it on his own." Luke sat up straight with his shoulders back and chest out, and dropped his voice to a booming baritone. "His dad was always like, 'A real man's gotta be independent – strong. You need to be a leader, son – someone that troops will follow!' "

Then he slouched back forwards, dropped his elbows back onto the table and leaned into his right hand before continuing. "So, Noah never wanted help...well, at least he never seemed to want MY help. It got to the point where I was in his face trying to be helpful – and all he wanted more than anything else was his space and independence. It was insane. The more I held on, the harder he pushed me away," Luke explained.

"Really?" Tessa stared in amazement, "I never in a million years would have pictured you as the clingy type."

"Oh yeah. It was ugly," Luke said. "And it went on for months. And months. Until finally I just got tired of fighting against him instead of for him, or with him. I told him I needed more and he didn't bite, so that was the end of that."

"So how does your happy texting homewrecker fit into all this?" Tessa asked.

"Reid?" asked Luke instinctively.

"Ah, so Mr Supertext has a name!" Tessa exclaimed.

"Oh, yeah," Luke replied sheepishly. "That's him"

"Okay, so how did REID fit into all of this," Tessa tried again.

"Well, Reid arrived in town in January. For the longest time, I didn't even know he was gay."

"Between Noah and that first crush, it doesn't sound like it's stopped you before, Luke," Tessa teased.

"Har, har, har," Luke droned. "At the beginning, I was still so into Noah, Scott Evans could have shown up in my bed naked and I wouldn't have blinked."

"Wow. Maybe I need to meet this Noah guy," said Tessa. "Sure he's not into girls any more?"

"He's all yours," Luke joked.

"Um, yeah. So, Reid?"

"Right. Well, I guess I noticed he was (well, is) hot - you'd have to be dead (or blind) not to notice that," Luke smiled. His mind started to wander briefly before Tessa loudly cleared her throat to get his attention. "For a long time we had the most bizarre relationship where he spent most of his time telling me to go away."

"Huh?"

"Long story. We had a few moments where I might have noticed something in the back of my mind, but to tell you the truth, I don't even think I realized I was attracted to him until Noah and I officially broke up. Reid and I ended up spending a lot of time together because of a project we're working on together, so I got to know and appreciate him more, but it never occurred to me that he might be attracted to me. I never really thought about him 'that way'...Until he kissed me."

"You didn't know he was interested but he just up and kissed you?"

"Yeah," Luke smiled, toying with his salad, not even noticing how he gently touched his lips with his tongue as he remembered how stunned he was in Dallas.

"Out of the blue?"

"Yeah," Luke struggled valiantly to keep from grinning like a loon. "Nearly knocked my socks off, too."

"And he did nothing to make a move before that?"

"Not really. I mean, he's pretty reserved, so he can be pretty hard to read. A few times he let down his guard and smiled – not a high school 'trying to catch someone's attention' smile, but just natural smiles that came up. I liked his smile: his eyes do this crinkly thing around the edges," Luke related, drawing circles around the corners of his eyes and dreamily smiling to himself. "I guess I felt a connection, but I didn't recognize it for what it was. It's not like he was overtly flirting with me or anything."

Tessa rolled her eyes. "If he doesn't flirt the way you don't flirt you guys were both goners."

"At any rate, I really didn't even like him when I first met him, so unlike Noah, it took awhile for Reid to grow on me," Luke said, remembering the day he saw Reid picking up Jacob in Old Town. "I started to see things I thought were really nice, but since I wasn't 'in the market' I kind of just filed it away in the back of my head."

Tessa nodded as she munched on a piece of broken off taco shell bowl.

Luke continued: "But a situation came up and he really went to bat for me. He totally didn't have to, and he didn't really have anything to gain from it."

"You didn't like him, but now you've been together for six months give or take a couple? Sounds to me like he had quite a lot to gain," Tessa said.

"It's not like he did it to get me in bed!" Luke protested, defending Reid's intentions. Then he chuckled, remembering the plane ride on the way back from Dallas. "Well, then again, maybe he did. He did say he'd wanted to kiss me for a long time before he actually did."

"So let me see if I got this right: You and Noah were on the rocks. Reid shows up. Smiles and does nice things out of the goodness of his heart, not because he's totally hot for you. But then he waits until you and Noah officially call it quits before he kisses your socks off? It must have been some kiss!" Tessa said enviously. "And then what?"

"Let's just say it took me awhile to figure out that Noah and I were done. It's almost like I was in this Noah cocoon. Sparks were flying all over the place, and I could see them, but none really broke through the shell. It wasn't until Reid kissed me that I started to become aware of how far under my skin he was. Then the floodgates opened and all these feelings that had been percolating for months all started to come out."

"Way to mix metaphors, Luke," Tessa joked. "What would Alex say. Or Bradley?"

Luke stuck his tongue out at her.

"So at any rate, it took awhile before I could admit to myself that things were done with Noah. Really done. And that they had been for awhile."

"Can't imagine that," said Tessa sarcastically. "Are you as bad at picking men as you are cellphones?"

"Worse," Luke reluctantly admitted.

"Worse?" Tessa exclaimed. "I wouldn't have guessed that was possible."

"If Reid hadn't come along, Noah and I would probably still be stuck in our make-up/break-up cycle."

"Were the make-ups good?" asked Tessa salaciously.

"Not enough to make up for the break-ups. They sucked," Luke said conclusively. "But I thank God every day that Reid stuck it out and waited for me to be ready to move on with my life."

"Sounds serious," said Tessa.

"I guess so," said Luke. "We've been living together for a few months now."

"Happily ever after serious?" asked Tessa.

"I'm not sure if there is such thing as happily ever after."

"That's optimistic," she replied dryly.

"It's just that my parents have been divorced and remarried so many times (both to each other and to a bunch of other people), I'm not sure what to believe any more."

"What if it doesn't work out?"

"Well, if it doesn't work out, I guess it wasn't meant to be."

"How can you say that like it's like a pair of jeans or something – like, if it doesn't work out, you'll just take it back to the store and get your money back?"

"No, no, nothing like that. Remember - me? Two years? Sucky relationship? But if you don't give it a chance, how will you know?" Luke asked.

"You gave Noah a two-year chance before you figured out that it wasn't going to work with him. How do you know things are going to work out with Reid?" Tessa challenged.

Luke speared a tomato and chewed it thoughtfully before replying. "I don't. I don't think there are any guarantees in life or love. But I know I've been a lot happier for the last six months than for most of the previous two. And it's not just that I'm happier with Reid - I'm happier without him, too, because my life is just in a better place. He's a big reason why, but I'm also way smarter and more self-aware than I was a year ago. Hell, I'm a lot more self-aware than I was two weeks ago, no thanks to a certain busybody who can't keep her Chucks from scarring my shins."

"My Chucks will take that as a compliment," Tessa smiled, encouraging him to continue.

"So it's different now. With Noah, I looked at him through rose-colored glasses. I thought if I said 'I love you,' OF COURSE he would say it back. If I wanted to live near my family, he would, too. I thought he would always trust me, and we would always put each other first. If one of us was in trouble, we would get through it together – through thick or thin."

"For better or for worse?"

"Yeah, for better or for worse," Luke chuckled softly. "With Reid, there are definitely no rose-colored glasses. I knew what I was getting from Day One and I didn't always like it. Sometimes I still don't, but I know where things stand. We can talk things out and sometimes I 'win' and sometimes he wins. Other times we have to agree to disagree. But I'm okay with that. But Reid's the kind of guy who will fight for us, and who wants me to fight for us...so is Trevor."

"I think you're right," Tessa conceded. "But I don't know if I'm ready to be in a relationship with a guy like him."

While Tessa tried to put her thoughts into words, Luke took advantage of the pause to down some of his lunch.

"Trevor is, like, safe." Tessa said. "Predictable, responsible, mature. He's got a steady job that he actually likes. HE'S a happily ever after kind of guy - the kind of guy you marry. Not the kind of guy you just date for awhile and then you stomp all over on each others' hearts and break up in a romantic bloodbath."

"What have YOU got against responsible, mature, and happily ever after?" Luke asked.

"Nothing," Tessa replied, "But I'm not sure if I'm ready for it. I want my share of one-night stands, midnight showings of _Rocky Horror Picture Show_, and falling in love."

"You only need to fall in love once. It's the being in love part that lasts forever."

"What if he's not the right one? How would I know? I've only really had a couple of boyfriends. And the last one was a disaster. He freaked out if I even looked at another guy and then one day his ex-girlfriend turned up in town and he decided he wanted to go 'explore his feelings for her.' I'm just not ready to put myself through that wringer again. If Trevor decides that he's not done with Doris, I don't think I can take it."

"He's not going to break your heart," Luke said.

"How can you be so sure?" asked Tessa.

"He is way too far gone to break your heart," Luke replied.

It was Tessa's turn to blush.

"You've got two weeks left here to see where it goes. Wouldn't you rather find out for sure if there's something there than always wonder 'what if'?"

"What if...I could have a happily ever after? Seems like a tall order," Tessa said.

"Maybe," said Luke thoughtfully. "But you'd be amazed how much you can learn about yourself in two weeks."


	18. Fascinating

**Chapter 18: Fascinating (formerly Engrossing)  
**

After lunch, Luke and Tessa wandered aimlessly, listening to sampler tracks at Barnes and Nobles, and trying out the latest video games at Game Stop. Luke even played along as Tessa modeled some pre-season sundresses – the thought of Reid watching Katie try on wedding gowns was more than enough to keep him entertained as Tessa disappeared then reappeared in a variety of colorful concoctions.

As they passed by the mall's small ice rink and Tessa convinced Luke to go out for a spin. It turns out she had skated as a child, and was still able to manage a quick twirl, feigning a big curtsy while Luke applauded admiringly. Luke had played more than his share of pick-up hockey and tackle-keep-away-on-ice during winters on the Snyder Pond and was mostly able to keep up with her, even when she grabbed his hand and tried topple him with a wicked crack-the-whip.

After an hour, they left the ice reluctantly when the Zamboni made its way onto the ice, and tumbled onto the rinkside benches laughing and joking about who would have a better chance on the next _Skating with the Stars, _with Luke arguing that no one likes a ringer. They each sipped from a steaming mug of hot cocoa savoring the puffy melted mini marshmallows floating on top. They watched as the Zamboni cleared the ice, and the teenage ice monitor held on behind, showing off for the figure skaters watching from the sidelines.

"One more session?" asked Tessa.

"Okay, twist my arm," laughed Luke. They spent another hour circling – clockwise this time – and enjoying the music blaring on the loudspeaker. They passed the time making top 10 music lists including the top 10 songs to play to get rid of an annoying blind date, top 10 songs to make you want to drive over a cliff after a failed relationship, and the top 10 songs to play during dinner to impress your boss.

At the end of the session, they returned their skates and began the journey back to campus, picking up jumbo oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for the trip. On the bus, Luke opened his messenger bag and pulled out the box containing his new iPhone. He folded shut the flap on the bag and turned the box over, grimly reading and rereading the long list of technical requirements and features.

"I should've bought something simpler," Luke lamented. "I am NEVER going to be able to figure all this out."

"Don't be such a baby, Luke," Tessa chided. "My ten-year-old brother could program it in his sleep."

"Lucky for you," Luke replied.

"No really, Luke," Tessa continued. "It's easy. You can just plug it into your laptop and sync your contacts from Outlook and your songs from iTunes."

Luke stared back as if she were speaking Swahili and said, "I've never used iTunes."

"You've never used iTunes?" Tessa exclaimed. "Are you living in the dark ages?"

"No, I just never got around to it," Luke said defensively. He looked warily at the box as they approached the campus bus stop, returning it to his bag and refastening the plastic clasp with a loud "click."

Tessa leaned over and pushed the button to signal their stop request and they pushed their way to the front of the bus, gingerly avoiding toes, elbows, and shopping bags carelessly strewn in the aisle. After watching the bus pull away, they crossed the street and made their way towards their cottages.

"Hey, Luke?" Tessa asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want me to help set up your iPhone?"

Luke's face lit up. "Really? Would you?"

"Of course, then you'd REALLY owe me..."

"No problem. You name it: half my kingdom? my first born child?"

"How about if you grab a pizza at the student center, and I'll go get my laptop from my room - it'll be easier to set up yours if I can see how I did mine. And I'll meet you back at your cottage in 45 minutes?"

"Deal!" Luke grinned from ear to ear.

**

* * *

**

An hour and a half later, Luke was getting a bit worried. The pizza was getting cold, and Tessa still hadn't turned up. He had tried her cell phone, but there had been no response. He was just about to head to her cottage to make sure she was okay when he heard the knock on his door.

"It's me," her familiar voice called out.

Luke flung the door open. "Tessa, where the heck have you been? I was going to send out a search party! Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"My phone? It didn't ring. Are you sure you called it?"

Luke pulled out his new iPhone and looked at it and handed it to her: "Yeah, see, 734-555-1414."

Tessa looked at the display and handed it back. "Too bad my number ends 4141. We need to get this phone set up for you right away."

She made her way into the room, dropping her bag next to the desk and tossing her coat onto the bed.

"So what happened, anyways, did you get lost on the way?" Luke asked.

"Not literally," Tessa replied cryptically, pulling her laptop out of her backpack.

"I don't get it," Luke said.

"When I got back to my room, I only meant to check email," she began cautiously, opening the laptop and placing it in the center of Luke's desk. Then she reached into the backpack to pull out the power adapter, untangling it as she spoke. "But then I decided to look up something, and once I got started surfing I couldn't stop. I got so fascinated I lost track of time."

Luke laughed. "What was so fascinating you lost track of time?"

"Not what," said Tessa, plugging in the laptop, "Who."

"Okay, I give," Luke said, "WHO was so fascinating you lost track of time?"

"Well," Tessa replied, starting up the computer. She turned around and leaned back on the desk, crossed her arms insecurely and looked up at Luke. "Why don't YOU tell me...Luciano?"


	19. TO, Tom Terrific, and Tofutti

**Chapter 19: TO, Tom Terrific, and Tofutti  
**

Luke's expression darkened. "Luciano?"

"Please don't be mad at me, Luke," Tessa said nervously. "It's just that after we talked about Noah and Reid and your parents getting divorced and married again, I got curious...so I Googled you."

"Tessa, you had no right — " Luke began.

But Tessa interrupted, "Luke, it's all publicly available information – VERY publicly available information. I'm amazed no one else has figured it out already. I haven't shared anything I found with anyone else, and I won't — not even with Trevor, unless you want me to. But the others will figure it out if they care enough. If anything, I bet Bradley will be next — he was practically frothing at the mouth during class on Thursday."

"Great, just what I needed."

"Aw, c'mon, Luke," said Tessa. "If you really wanted to remain anonymous, you might have used a name other than your own."

Luke looked sheepish.

"And while you're at it, you might want to do a better job disguising that high school coming out blog you wrote..."

Luke flushed bright pink. "You found THAT?"

"Yeah, the writing was actually pretty good. But it practically screamed 'I'm Luke Snyder.' I'm amazed your parents didn't find it."

"Well they were a little pre-occupied at the time," Luke replied rolling his eyes.

"Are you mad at me?" asked Tessa. "Because I'm really glad we're friends. And I hope I didn't mess that up. It's just once I looked, I couldn't stop. And then I couldn't take back what I knew, and I didn't want to pretend like I didn't know and —"

"It's okay, Tessa," said Luke. "I'm not mad at you. I'm kind of bummed that this idyllic little anonymous adventure of mine is not so anonymous any more, but that's not your fault. That's just reality."

"Whew," said Tessa, smiling weakly. "You still want me to set up your iPhone?"

"You'd better, or some other poor idiot in Ann Arbor is going to be wondering why some guy named Luke is leaving panicked messages on their cell phone wondering where the heck Tessa is."

"Were you really panicked?" Tessa asked, smiling shyly.

"Maybe not panicked," said Luke, "But definitely heading in that direction. Didn't you see the articles in the student paper about the attacks on campus last month?"

"Yeah, but those attacks took place late at night," said Tessa. "It's only 7pm – it was barely dark out."

"It was dark enough. You can never be too careful," Luke said.

"All right, MOM," smiled Tessa, waking up her laptop. "Thanks for the concern. Okay – so should we start with phone numbers, photos, music, or apps?"

"Let's start with the basics. If I don't get my phone numbers onto that phone, I'll be useless," said Luke.

"Phone numbers it is, then," said Tessa. "Can you start up your laptop and get logged into email? You do use Outlook, don't you?"

"Yes, I use Outlook. It's the only way I can get all my work and personal email in one place," said Luke.

"Okay, then let's get started."

**

* * *

**

Twenty minutes later, Tessa was still trying to make sense of Luke's contact list. "Luke, I cannot believe your address book is such a mess. You have people listed in here by first name, by last name, by company, and by...well, I'm not sure what these other entries are filed by. How do you ever find anyone? Like here. Katie. Who the hell is Katie?" asked Tessa.

"She's Reid's former roommate," Luke replied.

"Roommate?" asked Tessa suspiciously.

"Yeah, roommate," said Luke. "Why are you waggling your eyebrows at me like that?"

Tessa crossed her arms and waited for Luke to respond.

"It's not like THAT. They're friends. Like WE'RE friends. Capiche?"

"Okay, capiche. Why isn't she filed under her last name like Wheatley comma Brian? What's Katie's last name?"

"Snyder," said Luke.

"As in Luke Snyder?" asked Tessa.

"Yeah, she was married to my cousin Brad."

"Okay, Snyder comma Katie," said Tessa, thinking out loud as she typed.

"No wait, maybe it's Peretti," said Luke.

"Peretti?"

"That was her maiden name. She was considering changing it back as part of the 'letting go' process after Brad died," said Luke.

"Oh, sorry to hear about that. Peretti comma Katie, then?" said Tessa.

"No, wait, don't bother."

"What now?" asked Tessa.

"Well, she's engaged. To be married."

"Is there another kind of engaged?" asked Tessa.

"Very funny. I think they've set a date in a few months, so she's just going to change it again," said Luke. "Maybe you 'd better leave it."

"Okay, I get it. Never mind. The names stay," said Tessa, exasperated. "Can you actually find whoever it is you're looking for in this mess?"

"Yeah," said Luke. "It works for me."

"Fine, I'll leave them as they are. There aren't too many contacts in here, so I think I can just set it up to just sync all them. Then you'll have them all with you wherever you are."

"That would be perfect," said Luke gratefully.

"Holy cow, Luke," muttered Tessa as she scanned through the mapping again to make sure the sync list included all of Luke's contacts. "Snyder Foundation, Snyder Pavilion, Grimaldi shipping, more Snyder Foundation. Jeez, Luke now that the cat is out of the bag, you want to explain to me how someone who heads a foundation, hospital development and a multi-national shipping conglomerate can be so disorganized...and so insecure?"

Luke scrunched his face up and responded, "How much time have you got?"

"I've got all night," said Tessa smiling warmly. "Start talkin'..."

**

* * *

**Reid could not have come up with a better configuration for purgatory if he'd tried his very best. Katie had dragged him with her and Chris to Tom and Margo's. If being stuck for the better part of a day with Chris Hughes wasn't bad enough, he had to watch the two happy couples hold hands and make kissy faces all evening.

The nominal excuse for the interminable day was an opportunity to watch NFL playoff games. Reid could barely watch as the Dallas Cowboys squandered their first-half lead in the NFC contest earlier in the afternoon with inept blocking and poor pass protection. But to add insult to injury, he watched as Terrell Owens, who'd been acquired by the Bears in a late-season blockbuster trade, broke several post-season pass return records en route to a fourth quarter rout.

Reid scowled quietly as Tom and Chris high-fived each other after the Bears' victory, but had a hard time containing his disdain when he discovered that Margo had made the gameday nachos using soy chips, tofu cheese, and seitan crumbles.

Reid's mood continued its decline with the AFC contest in the evening matchup. Tom Brady was finishing off his last contracted season with the New England Patriots, and he'd had a brilliant year. Still unsigned, Brady was primed to cap off the year with another SuperBowl victory — the perfect negotiating chit in a contract season. Of course, Chris was cheering for the Steelers, an affinity he'd developed while on staff at Pittsburgh Children's.

The game was tense, with several lead changes, with both teams sharing in the costly turnovers and heads-up recoveries. With three minutes left in the game, Tom Terrific completed a textbook pass fake, then lobbed the ball gracefully to the open receiver waiting on the weak side in the endzone. The last minutes ticked down as the kicker missed the extra point, leaving the Patriots with a shaky two-point lead.

With a 1:29 to go, Reid could feel the adrenalin coursing through his veins as the Pittsburgh punt returner fumbled the ball. A collision of four blue and only two white jerseys converged on the ball, the numbers clearly favoring New England. But after a seemingly endless wait, a white jersey squirted out of the bottom of the pile with the ball.

When the next play resumed, the Pittsburgh runner proved too elusive as he dodged two defenders and then sprinted the remaining 64 yards along the sideline and into the endzone. With less than ten seconds to go, the teams milled around on field, barely feigning interest in the setting up the extra point despite the time left on the clock.

"Oh, fuh — " Reid began, but then noticed the eyes all turned in his direction. "— ck-rying out loud. These guys get paid millions of dollars to have a tea party when there's still time left to play?"

Reid glanced at Chris who was doing a very unsportsmanlike happy dance, showing off the classic vanilla-white-boy lack of hip action while Katie shielded her eyes in embarrassment. Reid thought briefly of the sizable chunk he'd lost in the office pool between the day's two games and scooped his keys up off the end table.

"I'm outta here," he announced without ceremony.

"But Reid, there's dessert still," said Katie, appealing to his known weakness.

Reid stopped and looked at her and raised a single eyebrow.

"Tofutti?" said Katie weakly. "It's chocolate?"

"Good luck with that," said Reid, grabbing his jacket off the pile on the chair. "See you next week."

Noticing the four pairs of eyes still following his every movement, Reid stopped at the door and turned back, muttering, "Um, thanks Margo, Tom," before beating a hasty retreat.

Reid drove quickly, with the heat off, despite the cold January air, letting the frigid air temper his mood. By the time he returned home, it was nearly midnight.

He tossed his keys on the entryway table and looked forward to going to sleep and the end of the miserable day. He was about to turn out the light and head into the bedroom, when he saw the message indicator on the phone. Thinking (hoping, even) that it might be a message from Luke, he smiled reflexively as he pushed the speakerphone button and dialed in their voicemail access code.

_You have one new message. BEEP. New messages:_

"Um, hi, Luke," the familiar gravelly voice came from the phone's speaker.

"Oh, great," thought Reid. "Just what I needed."

The voice continued: "It's me, Noah."

* * *

_**A/N: **Sorry for the timing of this cliffhanger - I know LuRe fans are not particularly excited to hear the "N word" this week, but this has been a plot point that has been destined for months to pop up exactly here in the story. So, for the next few chapters, if you could just keep in mind that my handle is "lovelure" not "triangleshipper." :)_


	20. Who the Hell Are You?

_**A/N: **It gets worse for Reid before it gets better..._

_

* * *

_**Chapter 20: Who the Hell Are You?**

"Listen," continued Noah's message, "When you get a chance, can you call me, please? It's kinda important. You have the number." After a long pause, it finished: "Um, thanks." _Click. Press 7 to delete, 9 to save..._

"Oh, fuck that," thought Reid, stabbing the 7 button on the phone._ BEEEEEP_ sounded the phone, seemingly mocking him.

Reid ran his right hand through his hair and glanced at his watch: 11:58pm. "Damn. Too late to call tonight." He resigned himself to passing along the message the next morning, but then remembered he was subbing in surgery the next morning. "Great. Not only will I be tired, but I'll have to play secretary for Noah Mayer before heading out."

Reid angrily flipped the light switch in the living room and stalked into the bedroom. He carelessly dropped the contents of his pockets on his nightstand before haphazardly tossing his clothes in the corner. He sat down heavily on the bed and sorted through the messy jumble on the nightstand, pulling out his cell phone from the bottom of the pile. He briefly double-checked for messages, and finding done, dropped the phone in disgust, though he couldn't quite decide whether his bitterness was towards the empty message list, or towards himself for caring.

Sighing, he flopped back on the bed, laying an arm over his eyes. Since he'd been out all afternoon and evening, the heat had remained turned, but as a result, the sheets felt even colder and crisper than they had the last two weeks.

Reid peeled his arm up off his face, and glanced at the clock: 12:12pm. "Damn." Noah Mayer had been gone for nearly six months, and best as Reid knew he had been out of sight and out of mind. Reid reached over and picked up his blue glass, and unwrapped the increasingly tattered tissue paper that surrounded it. "Luke hasn't mentioned Noah in months. It's been nice, don't you think?" Reid said out loud to the glass.

But hearing Noah's voice again brought back all the doubts again, like a sea-salt scrub on an open wound. "Luke hasn't mentioned Noah in months. Probably not since Noah called before Hallowe'en trying to locate some footage from their WOAK intern days. Reid sighed loudly and told himself he was being ridiculous. "I must be fucking out of my mind," he groaned. "I'm talking to a piece of glass."

Noah probably just needed Lily's phone number, or another archival clip, or something. It was the "something" that kept him up for another hour before exhaustion finally overcame him and he fell into a restless sleep.

**

* * *

**"Okay, I think we finally have all your contacts copied over. You want to take a quick look?" Tessa asked.

"Sure," Luke said, taking the phone from her.

"So, here," Tessa explained. "If you start from the main menu, you click on the address book icon, and then you scroll by dragging your finger across the screen like this." She demonstrated. "If you want, we can create a few voice dial entries for you."

"Voice dial?"

"Are you for real, Luke?" Tessa asked. "I don't want to be driving on the road next to you when you're on the phone."

Luke scowled at her.

"We can take the numbers you call the most frequently, and then match them up with your voice so that you can dial by just saying their name," Tessa elaborated.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. So, you want to start with, say...Reid?" Tessa asked.

Luke tried to hide his grin.

"Okay, here's what you do," Tessa continued. "We'll start by finding his entry in your address book – I assume it's filed under R? Or should I be looking for it under some nickname?" Tessa waggled her eyebrows then gave him a huge mock wink.

"Yes, it's under R," Luke said, blushing because he had indeed contemplated leaving Reid filed under O for Oliver, among several other options.

"Okay – let's see... Red Cross, Redman comma Joanne, Regional Ambulance Authority comma Central Illinois, Rhonda C...oh, here it is, Reid," Tessa muttered, scrolling through the address list. "Once you find the listing, you touch here on the Options menu and scroll down until you see voice dial. Then you touch OK and when you're ready, touch Record and then say the person's name."

"Just say it, like 'Reid'? " Luke asked.

"Yeah. Just say it. But the way you would normally say it – not like a question or anything. And then touch Stop Recording when you're done. Ready?" Tessa asked.

"Okay," Luke said.

Tessa touched the Record button, and Luke said, "Reid." But as he spoke, his face broke into a grin and his voice cracked.

Tessa touched Stop Recording. "Luke!"

"Sorry," Luke said, turning even brighter red. "Let me try that again. I'll do better this time."

Tessa touched Record. Luke paused to put on a straight face and tried again. "Reid," he said, but again he found himself breaking into a laugh.

"Luke, it's already almost 1am! If you can't pull yourself together, we might as well give up now!"

After three more tries, Luke was finally able to manage a passable (and more importantly, repeatable rendition of "Reid") and followed up with entries for "Mom" and "Dad" before they both agreed he had the hang of it and could create the rest of the entries on his own.

"What next?" Tessa asked, "Photos, music, or apps?"

"Can we do photos?" Luke asked. "I only had one photo on my old phone, and it was one that someone sent me. I have tons on my laptop, though. Can we put some of them on there as well?"

"Piece of cake," Tessa reassured him. "Just show me where they are."

Tessa created a folder to store the ones he wanted to copy to his phone and then Luke navigated to the folder containing his photos. "Okay, let's start here," Luke said, pointing to a photo of Lily and Holden.

"Your mom and dad?" asked Tessa.

"Yup," Luke said, smiling proudly.

"They look so in love...and so young!" Tessa observed.

"Yeah, this photo is one of my favorites of them. It was taken not long after they first met and fell in love. They were still teenagers in that photo," Luke explained smiling.

"Wow," said Tessa. "Hard to believe they fell out of love – they look so happy together." She paged down to the next photo. "Who are they?"

"That's my half-brother Aaron," Luke said, "And that's my half-sister Abigail."

"Your parents have been busy, I see," said Tessa.

"Yeah, evidence of the falling out of love problem," said Luke.

Tessa flipped to the next picture. "Oh my god," she gasped. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Unfortunately," said Luke.

"So this is the infamous Damian Grimaldi," said Tessa. "I see good looks run in the family."

Luke felt the color rising to his cheeks, again.

"So, Luke," Tessa said, "Did Damian really do all those awful things Darien did in your story?"

"No," said Luke. "Not quite. I used some poetic license. A little bit of surfing on the _COPS _and _Enquirer _websites didn't hurt, either."

"Is he as crazy as he sounded in class?" she asked warily.

"I don't think he's crazy," said Luke. "And I do believe in his own perverse way he really always acted out of love for my mom...and me – whether or not it's real love, I'm still not sure, but I'm sure he believed it was love."

"Yikes," said Tessa, flipping to the next picture.

"Oh my god! Emma's kitchen!" she smiled. "And is that YOU in the orange plaid overalls?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Oh, c'mon, I was two in that picture. You can't blame me for my choice in clothing!"

"There's the Hubbard squash!" exclaimed Tessa, looking more closely at the picture. "And the retro fridge with the magnets, the shelf full of mason jars, and...oh my god...there's the crockery cookie jar!"

"You remember all that?" asked Luke.

"Everyone in the class remembers all that, Luke," said Tessa. "We could practically taste Emma's pumpkin pie."

Luke smiled proudly, in spite of himself.

Tessa continued flipping through the pictures, "And is this must be the fabulous 'Aunt Lorinda' ?"

"That she is," said Luke.

"She looks a little intimidating to me," said Tessa. "I'm not sure I'd want to cross her."

"Trust me – you wouldn't," Luke replied.

Luke grabbed a pack of Oreos and poured them two glasses of milk as they continued to sort through the images.

"That one was taken two years ago," said Luke, pointing to a family portrait. "That's my sister Faith, and that's my other sister Nathalie, and that's my brother Ethan."

"Were your parents together when this picture was taken?" Tessa asked.

"Yeah – it was the last photo of the whole family before they broke up the most recent time."

"Everyone looks so happy in that photo. I can see why you'd want to stay near them," she said.

"Yeah. They're the most important thing in the world to me. Well, except for — "

"Except for Doctor Reid Oliver, world renowned neurosurgeon?"

Luke once found himself stifling a smile. "Yeah," he admitted softly.

"Do you want to just use your wallpaper, or are there others you'd like to add as well?" she asked.

"Well, to tell you the truth, that's just about the only decent photo I have of him...or us," said Luke.

"Why not – he's not part vampire is he? Or Amish? Aren't they the ones who believe cameras steal your soul?" asked Tessa.

"Reid's been called a lot of things," laughed Luke, "But I think it's safe to say that vampire and Amish are not on the list. He just hates being in photos. In fact, my favorite photo was one that was on my phone. Katie took it of us at a Labor Day picnic. I'd forgotten she'd taken it and hadn't even seen it until she sent it to my phone two weeks ago. Unfortunately, I think it became a lost cause when my phone died."

"Oh, that's too bad," said Tessa. "It was a nice photo."

"You saw it?"

"I couldn't miss it given how often you'd take it out and glance at it when you thought no one was looking," teased Tessa.

"Okay," Luke conceded, throwing up his hands and smiling. "Guilty as charged."

"Can you get another copy?"

"I guess so, I can email Katie about it in the morning," said Luke.

"Do you want to do that now, so you don't forget?" asked Tessa.

"Good idea," replied Luke. "Can you hand me my laptop?"

Luke quickly typed up an email to Katie: _Hi Katie. You know that photo of Reid and me you sent to me a couple of weeks ago? Can you send me another copy?_ Luke stopped typing briefly. "Should I ask her to send it via phone message, or email?"

"Email," Tessa replied. "Then you'll have a copy on your computer, and you can make it into a new wallpaper if you like."

"Okay, makes sense," said Luke, before he corrected his previous sentence. _Can you email me a copy when you get a chance? My phone died last week, so I'm reloading EVERYTHING onto it. Ugh. BTW, my new number is 309-555-2167. Say hi to Jacob for me. – Luke._

Luke hit send and said, "That's pretty much all the photos I really want to have with me all the time. If there's anything else, I can always add them at a later date."

"Okay," agreed Tessa. "Let me just set up the syncing program so it knows which directory has all the photos and click Sync...and...syncing, syncing, still syncing, and...voila. Here. Take a look. You touch this icon here, and then the pictures will either run as a slide show, or, here, you can flip through them – like that guy at Best Buy was demonstrating."

"That is so cool! Can I try?" asked Luke.

"It's your iPhone," said Tessa, handing it over. She smiled as she watched Luke happily flipping through the photos with a _Minority Report-_like flourish.

"Should we call it a night?" asked Luke, glancing at the clock. 3.27am.

"I'm actually doing pretty well," said Tessa. "Do you want to just keep going and get it over with?"

"That's great for me, but that's asking an awful lot of you," said Luke.

"I'm actually having a good time. Besides, the music is the fun part," said Tessa.

"Well, I'm game if you're game," said Luke cheerfully.

"Okay then. Let's start by getting you started with iTunes..."

**

* * *

**

Luke and Tessa spent the next three hours selecting and downloading music. The process was initially hampered by Luke's inability to remember which CDs he actually owned, though after a brief demo by Tessa, he had to agree that buying tracks was far easier than ripping them from CD. Together, they picked out nearly 300 tracks before the sun started to make its initial appearance behind the nighttime clouds.

"Yikes," said Tessa. "It's almost six. I'd better get back to take a shower."

"You want to just take one here?" asked Luke.

"Nah," said Tessa. "All my stuff is in my room. Tell you what. I'll start the tracks downloading before I go. When they finish, you can organize your playlists, and when I get back, we'll sync the songs and your apps to your phone before breakfast."

"Sounds like a plan," said Luke. Tessa started the tracks downloading and made her way back to her room. Luke created several playlists, and sorted the tracks as they downloaded. By the time Tessa returned, they were almost finished. Together, they watched the progress meter as the last few tracks downloaded. After Luke placed them in the appropriate playlists, Tessas entered the final settings and set the songs and apps syncing.

"You mind if I hop in the shower while they're syncing?" asked Luke.

"Go right ahead, be my guest, um, your guest. Um, you know what I mean," said Tessa, grabbing a copy of GQ off of Luke's bed.

**

* * *

**

Reid awoke, tired and grumpy. The alarm was ringing unusually early for a Monday morning. _Oh crap_, he thought. _I have that damned spinal disc herniation this morning. If only Hendrickson hadn't broken his wrist bowling over the weekend, I could be enjoying another hour of desperately needed sleep_.

Then he remembered what had kept him up so late the evening before. _Damn. Noah_. Reid glanced at the clock on his nightstand. 6.12am. Luke was never up that early. As much as misery loved company, he decided that waking Luke would serve no real purpose, so he put on a half-pot of coffee and got in the shower, willing the warm water to awaken his senses, not to mention his common sense.

After he emerged, it was still only 6.30am, so he got dressed, made himself breakfast, and read the morning paper to pass the time. Rather, he looked at the morning paper – though he tried to read the headlines, and words passed before his eyes, he would have been hard pressed to repeat back any of the morning's top stories.

At 6.45am, Reid decided he'd better call. He needed to leave by seven o'clock to make his pre-op check-in time, and this way he'd at least have 15 minutes to chat before he had to leave.

Reid hit the speed dial on his phone and was surprised when the phone rang and rang and rang. Reid frowned at the phone, and then vaguely remembered that Luke had mentioned that his cell phone died.

_Drat_, thought Reid. He knew he had written down the number for Luke's cottage but couldn't remember where he'd put the scrap of paper. Reid paced the kitchen briefly, trying to remember. He had wanted to keep it someplace safe, that would remind him of Luke...Then he remembered.

Walking over to the refrigerator, Reid opened the door and reached into the vegetable drawer. There, in the otherwise empty space, he saw the ripped out corner of Saturday's paper with Luke's number. Sitting back down at the table, he resumed his breakfast as he dialed the digits for the cottage phone.

**

* * *

**

"Hey, Luke," Tessa called over the sound of running water. "Your phone is ringing. Do you want me to answer it?"

"Sure, go ahead," Luke called back.

"Hello," said Tessa, "Luke Snyder's room."

Reid almost choked on his cereal when he heard a woman's voice answer. When he recovered enough to speak, his first thought was that he had dialed the wrong number. But then he vaguely recalled that she had answered the phone: "Luke Snyder's room."

"Who the hell are you?" he asked.

Taken aback, Tessa responded, "Um, Tessa. Can I help you?"

"I need to speak to Luke," Reid replied.

"Um, Luke's in the shower. Can I take a message?"

_Luke's in the SHOWER?_ thought Reid. _At 6.45 in the morning? With a girl in his room? What the hell is going on today?_ Reid realized the obvious, but somehow, the lack of sleep wasn't doing him any favors, and a variety of unwelcome images began bombarding his tired, addled brain.

When Reid finally found his voice again, he managed to spit out, "Just tell Luke that Noah called and asked him to return the call, and he said it was important." And without any additional pleasantries, he hung up.

Reid stared at his cereal bowl for nearly 10 minutes, aimlessly scooping the coloured circles and dropping them back into the milk. He recalled that Luke had mentioned several retreat mates that he was spending time with. He'd described one as a Katie-like blonde but he couldn't remember her name. To be honest, Reid hadn't paid all that much attention as Luke had droned on about his lunchtime chit-chats and study sessions. _Jessie? Tessie? Tessa? Could be._ Reid wished he'd paid closer attention and vowed to be more attentive in the future.

By the time he looked at his watch, it said 7.05am. _Oh, hell,_ he thought. _I'm late._

Leaving the bowl on the table, he grabbed his briefcase and jacket and headed off to work.

**

* * *

**

Luke wandered out of the bathroom, mostly wet, but with a towel wrapped around his waist, and drying his hair with a second one.

Tessa looked up, turned bright red and flung her arms across her face and turned away. "Damn, Luke! Are you TRYING to kill me?" she yelped. "For god's sake, Luke, go put something on, would ya? It is so NOT cool to be flaunting it when you are totally not available!"

Luke grinned sheepishly, "Oh, um, sorry." He made his towards his closet.

"Don't tell me - is this how you seduced Reid?" Tessa asked."'Cause if the poor boy knew you were gay, he did not stand a chance. Like a poor freakin' snowball stuck in hell." Luke stopped in front of the closet door as he remembered how he had answered his hotel door in Dallas to find Reid standing there, devastatingly handsome in his suit, but frozen in place. "Um, Luke...?"

"Oh, sorry," Luke muttered sheepishly, grabbing a clean shirt, jeans, and boxers from the closet and retreating into the bathroom.

**

* * *

**

Five minutes later, Luke emerged from the bathroom again, barefoot but dressed. "So, who called?"

"Take a guess."

"Reid?"

Tessa nodded.

"At this hour?" Luke asked, surprised.

Tessa nodded again, frowning pensively. "Mm hmm."

"What?" asked Luke, trying to decipher the look on her face.

"Well, it's just that he was kind of..." she searched for the right word.

"Rude?" asked Luke, raising a knowing eyebrow.

"I was going to say 'grumpy,' " laughed Tessa, "But rude covers it."

Luke laughed, "It's nothing personal. Reid's that way with everyone."

"Okee, dokie, if you say so," said Tessa.

"Why did he call at this hour?" asked Luke.

"He said Noah called."

"Noah?"

"Yeah, Noah," said Tessa. "Maybe that's why he was so...grumpy."

"Did he say what Noah wanted?"

"No, only that he called, he wants you to call, and it's important."

"Really?"

"That's what he said," confirmed Tessa. "Why? What's up with Noah?"

"God, I haven't heard from Noah since Thanksgiving when my mom insisted we call him to make sure he wasn't spending the holiday alone. So, I have absolutely no clue why he's calling..."


	21. The Big Emergency

**Chapter 21: The Big Emergency**

Reid could not remember ever being so miserable in the operating room. He had always found operating on the brain to be calming, enthralling. The delicate tissue, the intricate gray folds, the precarious nerve connections - he loved all of it, and prior to arriving in Oakdale, he never felt more at home, than in the operating room. The challenge alone was generally enough to keep him on his toes, intellectually and emotionally engaged throughout. But today was different.

Part of the problem, of course, was that he was doing a spinal disc herniation. He had assisted on several dozen during his residency and had done a large handful over the years as needed, but he found them unequivocally boring. The condition surgery was as routine as its underlying condition. It took every ounce of Reid's concentration to avoid switching into autopilot.

Ironically, Reid was glad for the simplicity of the procedure for if ever he was not at the top of his game, this was the day. For perhaps the first time, he wasn't sure he had the mental energy to deal with a more complicated one. Luckily, there were no complications, so Reid found himself back in the locker room, changing into his street clothes shortly before noon. He had never been so desperate to get away from work.

As soon as he got into his car, he picked up his cell phone and punched the speed dial entry.

Four rings later, a familiar voice picked up, "Hello?"

"Katie," said Reid, "I need to see you."

"Reid?" came Katie's concerned voice.

"Yeah, it's me," said Reid.

"You didn't pop another button, did you? I thought I was clear where I stood on doing your mending..." said Katie.

"I didn't pop a damn button Katie," said Reid impatiently. "I'm serious, Katie, I need to see you. Now."

"Is it a matter of life or death?" asked Katie in surprise.

"No," admitted Reid.

"Then it'll have to wait," said Katie. "I'm taping this afternoon, Reid. I can't just drop everything and come at your beck and call."

"Katie, it's important!"

"So's my job! Remember, job, money; money, way to feed Jacob?"

"Katie, please?" Reid asked.

"Please? You really are serious," said Katie. "Fine. If it's that important, come to WOAK. You can catch me up during commercial breaks and we can talk afterward. But you better hurry, I have to be in the studio by 2pm, so I need to be in makeup and wardrobe in about 45 minutes. See you soon."

"On my way," said Reid. He sighed as he hung up, then started the car, pointing it in the direction of WOAK.

**

* * *

**Luke and Tessa stopped at the student center for breakfast, waving to Trevor as they entered. Trevor had been sitting alone, re-reading his assignment and couldn't help noticing the distinct combination of happy smiles, intimate chatter, and bleary eyes. His mood didn't improve after they exchanged weekend stories and Luke and Tessa mentioned their Sunday adventures at the mall. Tessa had agreed not to discuss her internet research, and as so much of their subsequent evening discussions were centered around Luke's life in Oakdale, they'd decided it would be better not to talk much about their evening lest they inadvertently open a can of worms.

Luke was in good spirits, as throughout the morning he surreptitiously pulled out his new phone and entertained himself with the photos on his new phone. Having finished his assignment well in advance, Luke actually volunteered his piece for discussion, blushing slightly when all eyes turned to him in surprise. For the first time, Luke actually found himself enjoying the discussion, and he elaborated with some detail in response to queries, a sharp contrast to his previous tersely mumbled replies.

After class, Alex stopped him briefly – both to voice his pleasant surprise at Luke's participation in class, and also to issue a friendly warning about cell phone use in class.

As Luke and his friends made their way back towards the cottages, Luke fought to stifle a yawn and Tessa openly lamented the need for a serious afternoon nap. They parted ways when the path split, and Luke made his way back to his cottage alone. Using the mini-microwave, he heated up a slice of leftover pizza for lunch, toying with his new chess app while he ate.

Spying the pile of towels on the floor, Luke remembered the morning's events, and that he owed Noah a phone call, but he found himself too tired to move. He tumbled on the bed, pulled Reid's shirt out from under his pillow and fell into a peaceful, contented sleep.

**

* * *

**Fifteen minutes later, Reid pulled into the parking lot at WOAK and made his way into the lobby. Reid had been to WOAK only once previously — for the surgical wing announcement. At the time, he had been a guest of Kim and Katie's and they had all entered through an employee entrance. Now, he was annoyed to find there was a locked door in the building lobby and an overly self-important uniformed security guard stationed behind the large reception desk.

"I need to see Katie Snyder," Reid announced.

"And you are Mr..." the guard droned.

"Doctor," Reid corrected. "Dr Reid Oliver."

"Okay, sure you are," the guard said. Pointing at the log book, he grunted, "Sign in."

"She's expecting me," said Reid impatiently, scrawling his name into the book.

"Sure she is," the guard replied, glancing at the log entry.

"Would you just let me in already?" Reid insisted.

"Look, do you know how many YAHOO fans come by looking for Ms Snyder?" the guard asked, placing extra emphasis on the word "yahoo." "I've met her alleged butcher, nanny, hairdresser, and Aunt Betty. Five people tried to pass themselves off as her husband while she was married to Mr Snyder and he was on the show with her. You're the second doctor this month, though the other one said he was her podiatrist. You're not getting in until Ms Snyder says so."

Reid was aware that Katie was TV personality, but they rarely talked about their work, and had even more rarely discussed the details of their professional lives. It hadn't occurred to him that Katie not only had a fanbase, but a potentially rabid and irrational one.

"Just let MS Snyder know that I'm here," Reid demanded.

The guard reluctantly picked up the phone list and scanned for Katie's number. Then he dialed her extension and waited as the phone rang. Reid wondered if he were swimming in molasses, his movements seemed so slow. Reid stared expectantly as the guard stared at the ceiling.

"Yeah, um, Ms Snyder," he said into the phone.

"Finally!" thought Reid.

"It's Rudy at the front desk. I have a Mr Um..." Reid scowled at the top of the guard's head as he tried to decipher Reid's illegible handwriting. '...Orwell here to see you, Thanks." And before Reid could correct him, he hung up.

"It's Oliver, you idiot. DOCTOR Oliver." Reid said through gritted teeth.

"It could be Queen Elizabeth, for all it matters," replied the guard smugly. "I got her voicemail."

"Damn it, Katie," Reid muttered under his breath. He sat down on one of the lobby couches and shuffled the magazines on the coffee table. _Central Illinois Life. People. O. Redbook. Business Week. _His shuffling revealed a copy of _Cosmopolitan _at the bottom of the pile. The headline leapt off the page: _He's having an affair! Foolproof signs to know for sure. _Noticing the guard's watchful eye, he fought the urge to sneak a peek and tossed the _Bu__siness Week _over the offending magazine, before picking up copy of _GQ_. He knew Luke occasionally indulged in a copy, but had never really asked what he liked about it._  
_

After leafing through page after page of attractive and well-dressed young men, the copy of _GQ _followed the _Business Week, _unceremoniously discarded on the table. Reid got up from his seat and began pacing. The minutes passed slowly before a young Asian woman wearing a wireless headset and carrying a clipboard poked her nose through the locked door.

"Dr Oliver?" she asked.

"Yeah," Reid replied.

"I'm Ms Snyder's assistant. She asked me to come walk you back to her dressing room," she said

Reid nodded thankfully and made his way to the door, turning back to give the guard a searing glare before continuing after the young woman.

"Hi," she said extending her hand, "I'm Thien, but you can call me Tina – no one can actually spell or say my real name right."

Reid grunted acknowledgment and quickly shook the hand in front of him.

"Katie's told me so much about you, Dr Oliver," she continued. "It's so nice to finally get a chance to meet you!"

Reid swallowed uncomfortably, wondering just what and how much Katie had told Tina. He curtly nodded again.

"These are the editing suites we're passing right now," she explained. "And down that hall are the stairs to the basement where we have over 50 years of archival footage stored in temperature controlled vaults."

The building seemed like an endless maze. When they'd entered through the employee entrance, it had only been a few dozen feet to the studio where _Oakdale Now_ was filmed.

"Down that hallway is the _Oakdale Now_ set and this way is the news set," Tina continued. They walked past a room full of clothes racks. "That's our wardrobe department. They can outfit anyone from Madonna to Henry the VIIIth in a few hours with the costumes they've collected over the years."

Reid finally couldn't contain himself any longer. "Exactly how much further is it?"

"Don't worry Dr Oliver," Tina said smiling warmly. "We're almost there. Just past the cafeteria, and props...and here we are. This is Ms Snyder's dressing room. She's expecting you." Tina stopped in front of an unassuming blue door. Katie's name was stenciled on the door, and next to it was taped a picture of Katie and Jacob.

Tina knocked on the door and cautiously peeked in. "Katie? Dr Oliver is here."

Katie nodded to her, and Tina pushed the door open for Reid to enter. Tina glanced at her watch. "You have about 20 minutes. I'll come back to get you for makeup." And with that, she left the two of them alone.

Katie stood up to give Reid a hug. "Reid, what's wrong. Are you okay? Is Luke okay?"

"We're fine. It's nothing like that," Reid said.

"Then what's the big emergency?" Katie asked, still concerned.

Reid stopped short and began to feel foolish. "Noah called."

"Noah called? THAT'S the emergency?" Katie exclaimed. "You bonehead! I've been worrying my head off since you called wondering what's wrong. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You're right, Katie. I didn't mean to scare you," Reid felt a momentary pang of guilt as he meekly said, "Sorry."

"Aw. Reid. You do care," smiled Katie. But then noticing the bags under his eyes, she added, "Maybe you'd better sit down. You want to tell me the whole story?" Then she glanced at her watch. "You have about five minutes."

"Thanks," Reid said sarcastically.

"Reid..." Katie said with the tone she usually reserved for Jacob when he refused to eat his mushed peas.

"Well, you know how late we were imprisoned at Tom and Margo's last night?" Reid began.

Katie raised her eyebrow in warning.

Reid corrected himself, "You know how we were all enjoying ourselves at Tom and Margo's wonderful shindig yesterday evening?"

"Better," Katie said smiling. Reid scowled.

"Well, I didn't get home until nearly midnight, and when I got home, there was a message on the voicemail. From Noah."

"And? What'd he say?"

"He asked Luke to call him, and said it was important."

"That's it?" Katie asked.

"Well, there's more. Since it was so late last night, I waited until this morning to call Luke."

"So?"

"So I called him this morning at 6.45am."

"You called Luke at 6.45am in the morning? Are you insane, or just cruel?"

"I had to leave by seven to sub for that idiot Hendrickson," Reid said matter-of-factly. "I thought about calling him at six, but I waited."

"How thoughtful of you," said Katie. "You couldn't wait until after surgery?"

Reid rationalized: "Noah said it was important."

Katie raised a skeptical eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"And I didn't get a chance to talk to Luke all day yesterday," Reid reluctantly replied, "So I kinda wanted to hear his reaction. Um voice."

Katie nodded and smiled, more convinced by the amended version of events.

"So I tried his cell phone, but it didn't pick up. Then I remembered that he said his cell phone died."

"Oh yeah, Luke just sent me an email about that," Katie noted.

"Luke sent you an email about his phone?" Reid asked in surprise.

"Stay on topic, Reid," reminded Katie, pointing at her watch. "You're running out of time."

"Right, so I called him in his cottage and a girl answered. At 6.45 in the morning," Reid said.

"A girl?" asked Katie, "As in a female under the age of 18?"

"No, a girl, as in someone who shouldn't be in Luke's room at 6.45 in the morning!"

Katie frowned and was about to tell him off, but seeing the upset look on Reid's face, she decided to hold off on the feminist lecture. "She was probably just picking him up for class or something."

"At 6.45 in the morning?" Reid squeaked. "She said Luke was in the shower!"

A soft knock sounded from the door and Tina peeked in. "Sorry to interrupt, Ms Snyder. But 15 minutes to air. You're due in makeup for a final check."

"Thanks, Tina" Katie replied. "I'll be right there."

"Reid!" Katie said, trying to get his attention. "You do know that Luke is gay, don't you?"

"Very funny. It's been two weeks. I'm starting to forget."

"Reid, you're being ridiculous. Luke loves you."

"Easy for you to say."

"No, it's not — do you think you're easy to love?"

"Thanks a lot," Reid grumbled sarcastically.

"Look Reid, I've got to go. You're welcome to stay in here and wait, or Tina has a visitor pass for you and you can watch from backstage. I'll try to sneak out during the breaks, but really, Reid. Get a grip. You have nothing to worry about."

Intellectually, Reid agreed with her, but he couldn't explain the butterflies in his stomach, or the odd constriction he felt in his chest. Intellect won. "No, Katie. Go ahead, do your job. We can talk when you're done. I think I'll survive." He managed a weak smile.

"That's my boy," Katie smiled warmly, patted him on the back, and turned to leave.

"Hey, Katie?" Reid quietly called out. Katie turned back to face him, tilting her head questioningly.

"Thanks."


	22. Plans

**Chapter 22: Plans**

An hour later, Luke woke up refreshed, having dreamed pleasant dreams about trading barbs with a certain acerbic surgeon, and then spending a long afternoon in bed making up afterwards. Luke rarely slept in the afternoon and awoke a bit disoriented, and distinctly disappointed to find himself alone.

Luke made his way into the bathroom to splash cold water on his face. The pile of towels still on the floor reminded him of the morning events, and that he still hadn't called Noah.

"Might as well find out what's up," Luke thought to himself. He reached into his bag, pulled out his phone, scrolled through the address book for Noah's number, and dialed.

He sat down in the chair at his desk as the phone rang, staring out the window at the melting snow dripping off the icicles hanging from the rooftop.

"Noah Mayer," came the voice on the far end of the line.

"Noah!" said Luke, cheerfully. "I got a message you called?"

"Yeah," said Noah. "You're not an easy guy to reach. I've tried calling and texting your cell phone for days, but I didn't get an answer."

"Oh, sorry about that," said Luke. "My phone died last week I only just got a new phone yesterday. If you caller ID this call, that's my new number."

"Okay, I can do that," said Noah.

"So, what's up," Luke asked.

Noah paused for a moment before saying, "You know, it was weird hearing your voice on the voicemail recording saying 'Hi, we're not home.' It's the first time I've heard it when I wasn't the other half of the 'we'."

Luke frowned at the sentimental comment, "Reid said it was important?" asked Luke.

"Well, I have some good news," began Noah.

"Good news?" echoed Luke.

"I had a film accepted in the student films category at the Sundance Film Festival."

"Oh my god, Noah! That's amazing!" Luke beamed with genuine pride, "I'm so glad you called to tell me about it. My mom will be so excited to hear it."

"Well, that's not the only reason I called," Noah said.

"Okay," said Luke, "What else?"

"Well, I have an agent now," Noah began cautiously.

"Wow, Noah! You've got an agent already? I always knew you could make it big, but this must set a new record!" Luke gushed.

"It's not as impressive as it sounds," Noah said nervously. "He's only kind of my agent...I'm actually his first client."

"Oh. Still, that's pretty good," Luke replied. "You still have someone who wants to be your agent. That's gotta be a good sign, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Noah said. He paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "At any rate, my agent thinks you should come to the festival."

"Me?" asked Luke. "Why?"

"Well," Noah hesitated. "The film's about you. And me, and my blindness. "

Luke said nothing, trying to collect his thoughts, so Noah kept going. "And Reid."

More silence. Noah continued: "The festival is having a red carpet screening for all the, um, 'special' categories on the Saturday after the festival. That's three weeks from Saturday — February 5th — and it would really be helpful if you would come."

"Helpful," Luke thought. Even before Noah had given the date of the showing, Luke had decided he didn't want to take part. He was searching for a diplomatic way to break the news when he caught the word 'helpful' and blurted out: "I'm not interested."

"Hear me out Luke," Noah added. "My agent says there's a big press conference after each screening, and everyone will want to know about my inspiration. The more press I can get, the more chance my film will be picked up by a distributor."

"Now I'm really not interested," Luke said.

"Oh c'mon Luke," said Noah. "Please? For me?"

"Noah, the LAST thing I want is to go back and relive last year, or the last three years. You've moved on with your life and so have I," said Luke.

"You can bring Reid," Noah tried.

"Noah, that doesn't help. We're not going to be part of your dog-and-pony show. You're gonna have to do this without me," Luke said.

"Luke," Noah tried another tactic. "You even asked me to save you tickets for my first red carpet premiere."

Luke vaguely wondered about how big an event this would be, given the fact that it was a week after the end of the festival, but did recall teasing Noah about an invite to his first red carpet premiere. Feeling a smidgen of guilt, Luke said, "Noah, I'm really sorry, but this is really bad timing for me. I've got plans."

Noah was starting to get annoyed, "Can't you change the plans? For me?"

"Yes, Noah, I probably could. But I won't. The foundation annual fundraiser is the Saturday before and I'll have just gotten back from Iowa . I'm going to be buried that week. I can't drop everything and spend the weekend in Colorado."

"Utah," corrected Noah. "And it only has to be for one night. Why are you going to Iowa?"

"Not going, I'm in Iowa right now," said Luke.

"You're IN Iowa?" asked Noah, surprised. "Why?"

"I'm at a writer's retreat," said Luke.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Luke, starting to get impatient as well.

"I didn't know you started writing again," said Noah.

"I didn't."

"Hold on, then," said Noah. "I'm confused. If you didn't start writing again, what are you doing at a writer's retreat?"

Luke thought about the best way to respond and decided on the short simple truth. "It was a Christmas gift from Reid."

"The writer's retreat?" asked Noah, surprised at both the insight and sentiment that must have gone into the gift.

"Yes, the writer's retreat," said Luke.

"So you can spend two weeks in Iowa for Reid but you can't come out to Utah for one night for me?" asked Noah plaintively.

Luke had crossed the line from impatient to downright irritated. "For your information, I'm here for me, not for Reid. He thought I might like a chance to see if I still wanted to write before I made my next career move."

"He did?"

"Yes, he did," confirmed Luke.

"So you can drop your responsibilities for two weeks to figure out if you still like writing, but you can't come out to Utah on what could be the biggest night of my life?" Noah asked.

"Four weeks. Not two," Luke said. He thought he heard a sound much like a drink being spit out, but continued without stopping. "That's the biggest part of the problem. I've been gone since the beginning of January and I won't be back until Saturday the 29th. Reid had to move heaven and earth to rearrange all my work commitments so I could be here. I've got so much work stacked up waiting for me that I really can't just take off for another few days."

"Reid rearranged your work commitments for you?"

"Yeah, he did. And it took a lot of work. A LOT of work," Luke explained. "He's covering all my Pavilion obligations on top of his; mom and dad are splitting most of the Foundation work, but Reid spent an entire afternoon with Ellen figuring out how to redistribute the rest of my responsibilities between the board members and a temporary volunteer position they created. And I got lucky it's audit time at Grimaldi, so Marcus can handle most of the details there. But it took Reid weeks to clear it with everyone so I only have to deal with the stuff that really needs my personal attention while I'm away. By the time I get back, I'm going to owe everyone I know."

"Reid did all that?" Noah asked, impressed in spite of himself. "He really cares about you, doesn't he?"

"I think he does," Luke replied.

"Hm." Noah grunted, unsure what to say next.

"Noah, you are still my friend – one of my best friends, and I will love you forever. But I'm not going to fly out to Utah to relive our relationship in front of a media circus."

Luke braced himself for a petulant "If that's how you feel about it" reply. But instead, Noah replied softly, "Okay, Luke. I get it. If you change your mind, I'll leave your name and Reid's on the guest list."

"I won't change my mind," Luke said, quietly but firmly.

"Yeah, whatever," replied Noah, the disappointment apparent in his voice. "Take care."

"Take care, yourself."

_Beep._


	23. Bubbles

**Chapter 23: Bubbles**

For the first time since he arrived, Reid looked around Katie's dressing room. It was decorated pleasantly, like her house when he moved in. Luke had since added new art to the walls, some sentimental tchotchkes to the open surfaces, and a few "gadgets" including his Wii and Xbox, but overall not much had changed since Katie lived there. Reid briefly wished that her taste in men was as good as her taste in home furnishings – perhaps then she wouldn't be so concerned about having only one soul mate, and so hellbent on marrying Doogie Hughes.

In addition to a comfortable couch covered with a slightly rumpled chintz slipcover, there was an old-fashioned wing chair, a nursing rocker whose seat was filled with a stack of videos and three-ring binders, and an oversized vanity table with mirror, complete with stereotypical "movie star dressing room" lights. On one wall were several award plaques: _Oakdale Thanksgiving Parade Grand Marshall, Oakdale Women's League Citizen of the Year, Oakdale Chamber of Commerce – Most Members Recruited 2008_ among others_. _Several more awards, including an Illinois Emmy were carefully arranged on a small side table along with a vase of flowers and several small cloisonne shoes and handbags.

On a second wall were dozens of family photos, each carefully framed and displayed. Reid walked over to the wall to take a closer look. He recognized pictures of Tom and Margo; another of a younger Tom and Margo with Casey and a slightly older teenager; one of Craig, Lucy, Gabriel, and Johnny; what appeared to be a much older picture of Craig with a good looking teenage boy; plus several older black and white photos of a woman he guessed was Katie's mother, given the noticeable resemblance. Standing out among the family photos was what appeared to be a framed newspaper clipping featuring a photo of Brad posing cheek-to-cheek with a large and rather ugly woman Reid did not recognize; the headline read: "Geneva Swift-ly wins fans on WOAK's _Oakdale Now_."

On her desk Reid recognized the wedding photo of Katie and Brad she used to keep on the wall at home, but here, there was also another more casual photo of them, smiling happily at the camera. They sat on the ground, with Brad's arm wrapped possessively around her waist, the palm of his hand resting on her bump. Katie was visibly pregnant, and for the first time Reid understood why people always gushed about pregnant women glowing. Katie was truly glowing, her cheeks unusually pink and almost plump. Reid wasn't sure if he'd ever seen her looking so happy in the entire year he'd known her.

Amidst a half-dozen photos of Jacob and a photo from Henry and Barbara's wedding were a stack of Katie's publicity stills and a pile of what appeared to be opened fan letters. Reid picked up a few of the letters and read:

_Dear Ms Snyder – I just wanted to pass along compliments on your recent episode regarding inflammatory breast cancer. Last week, a patient came to me presenting many of the symptoms discussed on your show. She had seen several physicians who had dismissed her concerns. After seeing your show, she booked an appointment with me and we were able to confirm her diagnosis. Though she still has a difficult course of treatment ahead, at least we are now doing something to address her condition and are giving her a chance at survival. Thanks to _Oakdale Now, _you may have saved her life. Yours sincerely, Dr Margaret Bamber, Oakdale Memorial Hospital Department of Oncology._

_Dear Katie – I LOVED the photo of Jacob you showed on air last week. He's adorable and looks just like Brad! I still miss seeing the banter between you and Brad on my screen, so I can't imagine how hard it must be for you. I know you've said that you believe in "one great loves", but there's no quantity limit on love, so don't give up hope! You know what they say – you may not be able to describe it, but you'll know it when you see it! – Betsy from Milltown_

_Dear Katie, My mom died last year, and spent most of her last six months in hospice care. She lived with a lot of pain and had very limited mobility. One of the things that helped keep her spirits up was watching you on _Oakdale Now. _For an hour every day you let her into your life and she found familiar friends. Chef André. Dr Rick. Therese the interior designer. You were like family to her and kept her company when her real family couldn't be by her side. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing a little joy to the last days of her life. With love, Karen S_

Reid leafed through a dozen or so letters and was surprised how many echoed similar sentiments. He had always thought talk shows were freak shows watched by unemployed rednecks with nothing better to do than watch daytime television, and he had never actually watched _Oakdale Now_. But he was familiar with Dr Bamber and had always found her comments in staff meetings to be unusually insightful. The rest of Katie's letters seemed to capture people of all incomes and educations, some of whom watched regularly, via time shifting, or even via UsTube, as well as occasional viewers tuning in on sick days or as a guilty pleasure. Reid was surprised at both how passionate and articulate the letters were.

The last page in the pile, an email that had been printed out, was the one note that stood in sharp contrast:

_dear katie, I know geneva swift wasn't real, but am I insane? I loved her! Um, him. she was osm! SO funny! SO snarky! ms hyatt's mammaries bouncing up and down? sensuous arts? ROTFLMAO! geneva really dished it out like nobody else on daytime television. Any chance we could see some episodes with you and geneva? soon? pretty please? Xoxo Tamara via the internet_

Reid frowned at the "um, him" as he placed the letters back on the table. He picked up the top photo from Katie's publicity stills and noticed that Katie's autograph bore little resemblance to her normal signature. The letters were big, neat, and loopy – like the stereotypical signature of a teenage girl, except instead of a heart or star over the "i" in Katie, Katie's featured five small circles arranged roughly in a crooked line. Reid stared at the pattern trying to recognize their somewhat familiar arrangement and then it clicked: they were bubbles. Bubbles. Reid wondered if Henry knew about Katie's silent tribute and mentally chalked up a brownie point for Hank.

After he had looked at all the photographs, Reid couldn't decide if he was more surprised to see the Labor Day photo of himself and Luke nestled between photos of Jacob, or to find that he couldn't find one of Chris in the lot.

Reid sat down in Katie's chair and picked up the photo of himself and Luke. In the photo, Luke's eyes were barely larger than two black dots. But even in the photo, he could see their warmth. Reid hated to admit how much he loved getting lost in those caramel eyes – so lost he could easily forget his own name.

Reid glanced curiously at the second man in the photo. The version on his cell phone was minuscule compared to this one, a 5x7, so despite glancing at his phone several times daily, he hadn't examined it with much attention – well, at least not his half of the photo. Now, seeing Katie's larger version, he was surprised to see the easy, unencumbered smile on his own face, and a bit of a healthy pink flush — Katie had snapped the photo just after he and Luke had just narrowly beaten Jack and Carly in the three-legged race. Reid chuckled softly to himself at the memory, continuing to gaze at the photo in his lap.

He heard another soft knock at the door as Tina again poked her head in. "Um, Dr Oliver?"

Feeling like he'd been caught red-handed stealing from the cookie jar, Reid quickly replaced the photo on Katie's table.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said, sensing she'd disturbed a private moment. "Would you like to go watch? They're just finishing the opening segment and are about to go into the feature. If we hurry, you might catch Katie before the cameras go live again."

"All right, sure," said Reid, welcoming the distraction and making a mental note to come back and take another look at the Geneva Swift article on the wall.

"Um, Dr Oliver?" said Tina. "I need to remind you to make sure your cell phone and beeper are on silent before we go."

"Oh, right, of course," said Reid, checking to make sure both were set to vibrate. Then he pushed himself out of Katie's seat and followed Tina as they backtracked towards the branch in the hallway that led to the _Oakdale Now_ set.

**

* * *

**By the time Luke finished speaking with Noah, he was starting to feel the effects of missing lunch to catch a few winks. Part of him felt bad he was letting down Noah, but given his current priorities, he didn't regret his choice.

Having spent all day Sunday with Tessa, he dreaded the stack of emails that were likely to be awaiting his attention. So he opened up his laptop, grabbed a box of Oreos and made himself a cup of tea while his email replicated. As he sat with the steaming mug, he could see the brief message excerpts flashing by in the corner of the screen. _Operations budget approval. Painters quote for Snyder Pavilion ref: Q15027. Live auction idea._ Luke's mind numbed before one caught his eye – _RE: Photo request._

Luke clicked on the indicator and opened the message.

_Hi, Luke — I'm Tina (Katie's assistant). She asked me to email this to you, Enjoy! –T_

_P.S. Dr Oliver stopped by the studio today, so it must be kismet!_

Luke frowned in surprise, wondering why Reid would visit WOAK on a workday. Tina's message reminded him that he had not yet passed along his new contact details to Reid, to stay on track so he could enjoy a guilt-free conversation later in the evening, he resisted the urge to call and instead pulled out his phone and composed a text:

_Hi – Sorry, forgot to send new number (busy day yesterday, long night – will tell you all about it later). __309-555-2167. Love, Luke._

Luke touched Send on his phone, and then returned to his emails. He had gotten better at sorting through the most important emails, and made his way through most of them in a couple of hours.

He then spent an hour banging out a pretty weak excuse for a writing assignment, but he gave himself a pass. Having volunteered a piece today, he wasn't worried about any expectations for him to make himself the center of attention tomorrow. After one last read for spelling and typos, Luke closed his laptop and left to grab a quick dinner.

**

* * *

**Luke's text arrived midway through the walk to the _Oakdale Now _sets. Reid felt the buzzing in his pocket, but waited to look until Tina had left him in the wings and disappeared around a corner.

Reid warily pulled out the phone and looked at his new messages. _A long night?_ He rolled his eyes and returned his phone to his pocket.

In the middle of the sound stage, there was a small mock kitchen he recalled from his previous visit. Only this time, it was in use. A loud, large man with red hair and a bushy gray mustache was busy stirring something in a sauté pan, making bad jokes, and slapping Katie on the back in jest. Reid thought the slaps must have packed a bit of a wallop, as Katie choked a few times trying to say her lines. Reid laughed a little in spite of himself.

As he stood watching, Kim quietly approached to stand next to him. Reid nodded in greeting. "Dr Oliver," smiled Kim, "Come to see tabloid television in the making?"

A quick series of memories collided in Reid's head. He vaguely remembered being furious and saying something insulting about Kim being an idiot television producer. He also remembered being flabbergasted that in coming to her defense, nice, lovable Bob Hughes had actually offered to step outside and knock him on his backside. Then he remembered telling Luke that Kim didn't like him, and Luke reprimanding him for not apologizing after hitting her car. It occurred to Reid that he still had never apologized. And reading Katie's letters, he was starting to think that perhaps _Oakdale Now _was not quite deserving of being mentioned in the same breath as the_ Weekly World News_.

Reid turned to Kim. "Yeah, um, Kim," Reid began. "When I said that I —"

Kim put a hand on his arm. "I know," she smiled. "Enjoy the show." With that, she folded her arms and turned back to observe the filming, leaving him to watch over the back of her shoulder. Reid briefly saw the motherly pride that seemed to shine on her face as she watched Katie finishing up the segment.

After the director called out, "That's a wrap," Katie looked around the wings, looking for Reid, and nodded when she caught his eye. She quickly removed her apron as the set crew cleared the dirty dishes and moved the seating into place for the next segment. Katie quickly made her way over to Kim and Reid.

"Nice job, Katie," Kim smiled. "Just wanted to let you know that ratings are in for last week. Up 2% over last year – pretty good for daytime."

"Thanks, Kim," Katie smiled back. She waited until Kim made her way out of earshot before turning to Reid. "Any news?" she asked.

Reid barely caught her question as he asked, "Do you know what they're going to do with the food?"

Katie shook her head in disbelief. "They usually feed it to the crew, but I'll see if I can snag you some."

As a young man walked by carrying a small circular table, Katie gently touched him on the arm. "Hey, Bobby? When you're done with that table, can you please see if Susanne can make a plate of today's special and bring it over before they give it all away?" The young man nodded as Katie said thanks, and then continued on his way.

"So?" Katie asked again.

"I got a text from Luke," Reid replied.

"And? What did he say?" Katie asked. "Do I have to beat it out of you?"

"He sent me his number and said he had a long night. See?" he pulled up Luke's message and showed it to Katie.

Katie rolled her eyes. "He also said he'd tell you all about it later. I don't think he'd volunteer that if he'd had a torrid night of hot sex," she pointed out.

"He didn't say anything about Noah," Reid added.

"Maybe he hasn't talked to him yet," said Katie.

"Maybe he doesn't want to tell me in a text," said Reid.

"Maybe, maybe not. But if you're so worried about it, why don't you just ask him?" Katie asked.

"Because, Miss Peretti Frasier Coleman Snyder...YOU made me promise not to keep bringing up Noah." Reid made a face and used a sing-songy annoyed voice to continue: "You said if I didn't want Noah to constantly be a thorn in my side that I had to stop being the one to bring him up." Then returning his voice to normal, he added, "So I did! I can't ask him about Noah now!"

"Why the hell not? Noah called, seemingly out of the blue. It's perfectly reasonable for you to ask about it, it would be part of what he did today." Katie said, adding, "Oh, and you forgot Kasnoff."

"Who's Kasnoff?" asked Reid.

"One minute, Katie," said Tina. She had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and Reid wondered how long she had been standing next to them, and how much she'd heard.

"Reid, just ask him," said Katie over her shoulder, as Tina began to guide her by the elbow onto her seat on the set.

A blonde woman in a black suit approached carrying a plate of roasted lamb shanks and citrus salad along with a small dish of fried bananas and vanilla ice cream.

Katie motioned towards Reid with a nod of her head, calling out, "Thanks, Susanne," as she rushed to make her mark before the cameras went live.

**

* * *

**Luke caught up with Tessa along the path to the student center.

"You're looking bright eyed and bushy tailed," observed Tessa.

"I took a nap," Luke admitted.

"Me too," laughed Tessa.

"I'm glad I did, though," said Luke. "I feel SO much better."

"Me too," said Tessa. "So, did you call him?"

"Reid?" asked Luke. "Nah, I wanted to get caught up on emails. And I did a crappy job on tonight's assignment as it is. If I called him, I might still be talking; so I texted him."

"Not Reid," said Tessa. "Noah."

"Oh, yeah, I did," said Luke.

"And?"

"He got a film into the Sundance Festival," said Luke.

"Really? Holy cow! He must really be good! That's like the most prestigious film event in the world isn't it?"

"I think it's one of the most prestigious. I think at least Cannes is more important internationally, but never really got into the details of what's best at what," explained Luke.

"So that's why he called?" asked Tessa.

"He wanted me to go to his Sundance screening in a few weeks," said Luke.

"Awww, that's so sweet! Are you going?"

"Nope," said Luke.

"You're turning down a chance to go to a red carpet showing at Sundance? Think of all the celebrities that will be there. I bet Joan Rivers even does a show on _E!"_ said Tessa. "Why not?"

"It's apparently based on our story – Noah's, mine, even Reid's."

"Oh," said Tessa understanding.

"Exactly," said Luke. "And apparently his new 'agent' wants me to come out and answer questions about the whole fiasco for the press."

"Yikes. So what did you tell him?"

"I told him I couldn't just drop everything after four weeks here in Iowa... and that I had plans," Luke replied.

"What's more important than a red carpet movie premiere?" asked Tessa.

"It's a showing, not a premiere," corrected Luke. "And it's the week after the festival, not part of the main festival itself. Anyways, I don't actually have concrete plans yet, but it's only a week after we go back to our real lives. I was kind of hoping to spend the weekend with Reid." Luke grinned sheepishly.

"Awww...," said Tessa. "THAT'S soooo sweet! But you blew off a red carpet premiere...um, showing...for a romantic weekend that you're hoping will happen? What if Reid's busy?"

"Well, not to sound too obnoxious, but Reid's never busy," Luke replied.

"Confident much?" asked Tessa.

"Very funny," said Luke. "Reid's just not that into hanging out with people, so it's not like he's a social butterfly with a jam-packed datebook."

"Okay, if you say so," Tessa said. "Are you at least gonna tell him about your conversation with Noah."

"Nah," said Luke. "He made it REALLY, really clear that he REALLY didn't like it when I brought up Noah." He paused for a beat then added ironically, "Did I tell you that Reid REALLY doesn't like it when I talk about Noah?"

"So you're not gonna say anything at all?" asked Tessa.

"No, why should I?" asked Luke.

"Don't you think he's gonna want to know why Noah called?"

"Nah, Reid knows I barely talk to Noah these days. I'm sure the last thing he wants is for me to drone on about Noah's film, and Noah's agent, Noah's press conference, blah, blah, blah."

"You wouldn't have to DRONE on about it. Besides, Reid was so grumpy when he called this morning..."

Luke explained, "Look, he made me promise not to keep bringing up Noah. It took me awhile to get used to it, but now that I am, I intend to keep that promise. End of story."

They arrived at the edge of the main campus and stopped at the crosswalk. Tessa was not convinced, and raised her eyebrows warily at him as Luke shook his head. Trevor caught up to them just as the light turned to "DON'T WALK" eying the silent impasse they had reached.

"Hey," he said awkwardly, changing direction and heading obliquely away from the student center. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Trevor had nearly always joined them for dinner when they had run into each other previously. Tessa and Luke exchanged surprised glances.

"Trevor, wait," Tessa called. "Aren't you going to join us?"

"No thanks. I was going to go to the library and get some reading done," Trevor replied.

"Isn't the library that way?" asked Luke pointing in the opposite direction.

Trevor glared at him and said, "Well, I was going to grab a quick bite at the QuickStop."

"Oh god, Trevor," said Tessa wrinkling her nose. "They're TERRIBLE. If you're going to grab a bite, why don't you join us. There'll still be plenty of time to hit the library afterwards."

Luke nodded in agreement, adding, "I hear it's carrot cake night."

Still unsure, Trevor found himself nodding reluctantly and following along as the light turned and the pile of pedestrians stacked up at the intersection made their way across the busy street.


	24. Oakdale Now

**Chapter 24: Oakdale Now**

Katie quickly scurried back to her interviewer's chair as assistants adjusted her mic and touched up her makeup. She glanced quickly at the notecards on the table before her and pulled down on the hem of her blazer to smooth out the wrinkles.

Across from her sat an attractive man of about 40, slightly gray around the temples, and dressed in a medium gray suit with a medium blue shirt and tie.

From behind the main camera, Reid heard someone in the darkness call out, "And we're live in 5-4-3-2-1..." Reid looked for the voice and saw a hand silently point out the zero beat.

Katie smiled at the camera, barely glancing at her teleprompter. "Welcome back to_ Oakdale Now. _This afternoon, we welcome back prominent family therapist Dr. Richard Handel, better known to you as Dr. Rick." Katie turned to her guest and added with another smile, "Thanks for joining us again, today."

Dr. Rick smiled back, "It's good to be back, Katie."

Facing the camera, Katie began her prepared remarks: "Grief is an unfortunate and inevitable part of life. We can't predict it, we don't like it, and we may struggle mightily with it. If we're lucky, when we experience it, it makes us stronger. Dr. Rick is here today to talk about what to do when tragedy strikes so that we feel like we are managing our grief, rather than the other way around." She turned from the camera to her side, "Dr. Rick?"

"Thanks, Katie. People commonly associate grief with the loss of a loved one, whether it's a parent, spouse, lover, or child. But people may also grieve the loss of anyone or anything important in their life. This could be as serious as loss of health due to illness, loss of a job or source income, loss of freedom, loss of something that gives an individual self-identity, or loss due to a breakup. And, not to belittle those very real traumas, people also experience grief caused by seemingly frivolous things that they seek out for comfort – the loss of a championship game, the loss of a favorite item, or the death of a favorite TV character can produce grief-like feelings in many individuals..."

Reid snickered silently at the thought of anyone grieving over a TV character.

"...just ask any Cubs fan..." Dr. Rick continued.

"Masochists," scoffed Reid. Then a vague image of a ball rolling in between Bill Buckner's legs came to mind and he shuddered briefly at the memory.

"...or a toddler who's lost his safety blanket," concluded Dr. Rick.

"I can certainly vouch for that," laughed Katie. "Last time Jacob misplaced Mr. Snuffles, Jacob was despondent for the entire week before before we found him."

Reid nodded reflexively in agreement. Jacob had wailed every night at bedtime for an extra 20 minutes. It wasn't until roast night that they found Mr. Snuffles in the oven, accidentally left there by a very sleep-deprived Katie.

"So what do we do with all these negative feelings so we can manage grief and help our loved ones manage theirs?" asked Katie.

"The most important thing is to allow enough time to grieve the loss," replied Dr. Rick. "Unfortunately, there is no simple checklist or timetable for grief. One person may be able to accept the loss of a spouse seemingly quickly if they are independent, prepared for the loss or naturally disinclined to dwell on the past. On the other hand, another person may mourn the end of a toxic relationship for months, or even years, if they have become dependent on the relationship and are unable to see an alternative."

"Then if there are no timetables and no checklists," Katie asked, "How do we know when grieving has ended and moving on has begun."

"Well, Katie," began Dr. Rick, "grief has been around as long as people have lived and died. However, back in 1969, a Swiss psychiatrist named Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introduced the concept of 'grief stages. She argued that there are five 'stages' of grieving that people go through, and that these stages — denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance — could be applied to any of the different sorts of losses that might cause people to grieve."

"That covers a lot of ground," Katie added.

Reid detested psychobabble, but the five stages of grief were familiar from the mandatory psych survey course he took in medical school. Studied in a classroom and described in a textbook, they had indeed seemed like checkboxes to tick. Having watched Katie for the last year, he was starting to appreciate the organic and volatile nature of the checkboxes. Perhaps Luke had rubbed off on him more than he'd realized.

He took a look at the dish Katie's colleague had handed him. It was a dark stew of some sort, with most of the vegetables so well-cooked they were barely recognizable. He took a tentative bite. "Hmm," he thought to himself, "Not bad."

"Indeed it does," Dr. Rick agreed. "And it's amazing how similar the process of dealing with these very different personal tragedies can be."

"Do people always go through all five stages?" Katie asked.

"Good question, Katie," Dr. Rick replied. "No, absolutely not. And people may not even go through them in order, or only once each. But typically, most people go through at least a few of the stages en route to acceptance and moving on to the next stage of their lives. The important thing is not to force the issue, but rather to let the grieving process take place how and when it needs to."

Reid continued to work his way through the dish, which at this point he'd identified as lamb — in fact, a very tender and flavorful lamb, he thought admiringly.

Katie's voice briefly lost its customary perky cheerfulness as she asked, "So, how does someone know when they're done with grieving and they're really ready to move on?"

Reid looked up from his plate — as much to watch Katie's expression as to hear Dr. Rick's response. When he'd first arrived in Oakdale, Brad had been dead for only a few weeks. Although reluctant at first — very reluctant — Reid soon became accustomed to being Katie's sounding board as she regaled him with how Brad would have responded to the news of the day, or what little, everyday moments she missed most with him. Reid barely wanted to know Katie that well, and initially resented knowing intimate details ranging from Brad's favorite pizza toppings (sausage, pepperoni, and green peppers) to his underwear preference (briefs – colorful ones).

But as Reid's stay in Oakdale extended from days to months, he slowly came to accept Brad as an invisible roommate — so much so, that one night, as he set the table for dinner, he caught himself asking for Brad's opinion of wine choices (and even worse, found he knew the answer). Even after Doogie Hughes returned to Oakdale in March and began to stake his claim on Katie, Brad remained an ever-present topic of conversation.

Although Katie had stopped openly declaring, "Brad was my one great love," Reid had noticed that she hadn't yet declared her undying love for Chris in similar terms. She had progressed from "I really like him" to "I'm crazy about him" in a mere few months, but apparently had yet to hit "I'm madly, deeply in love with him." So when Katie and Chris announced their engagement in September, it was one of the few occasions Reid could recall when he was so bewildered that he approached being dumbfounded; Reid almost never admitted to being dumbfounded.

Though Luke and Maddie, bleeding-hearted romantics that they are, had both immediately voiced their congratulations, Reid remembered biting his tongue — and watching Henry do the same. In fact, as he thought about it, it was probably the first (and last) time he and Hank had agreed about anything.

As soon as Chris and Katie had cleared the dinner dishes and ducked into the kitchen to prepare coffee and desserts, the deep rumble of his amorous suggestions and her embarrassed giggles coming through the slightly open doorway in muffled tones, Luke had skulked off into a corner with Maddie to discuss the disastrously awkward exchange about living arrangements. Aside from skulking in a corner himself, Reid had few viable options for passing the next 10 minutes, and so allowed himself to be dragged into the living room by Henry, who said in a dramatic stage whisper, "Is she out of her freakin' mind?"

"Don't look at me," Reid had replied. "I told her to say no."

"Why the hell would you do that?" Henry exclaimed, but then paused as his brain caught up to his ears. "Wait — did you say you told her to say...no?"

Reid nodded impatiently, almost imperceptibly.

"You _did_?" Henry exclaimed in surprise. "Really, you did? Of course you did. So did I! Any rational person with a brain in their head would have told her to say no! Just a month ago she told me she couldn't imagine anyone taking Brad's place in her heart. What the hell is she doing?"

"Living," said Reid with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Living?" asked Henry incredulously. "More like living in the world of la la land. And imagining that she's in love with Chris Hughes. Bubbles isn't in love with Chris Hughes. She just thinks she's in love with Chris. She's in _like _with Chris. I like Chris, too, but I don't wanna marry him. And neither should she! Katie's in love with the _idea_ of being married to someone steady and sensible who can give her and Jacob a nice safe home."

"Preachin' to the choir," Reid had reminded him.

"So what do we do now?" Henry had asked.

"Katie's a smart girl," Reid replied. "She'll figure it out soon enough."

"Don't let her catch you calling her a girl," Henry warned. "She slugged me so hard in the shoulder last time she caught me doing that, I couldn't sleep on my right side — Barbara and I had to switch sides of the bed for a week!"

"Too much information, Hank," Reid warned, looking around for an excuse to end the conversation.

"You don't know Bubbles like I do," Henry continued. "She's easily swept off her feet and she always, _always_ falls for the wrong guy."

"So you've told me," Reid. "Speaking of which, wasn't she married to you at some point?"

"Stop changing the subject!" Henry scolded. "We have to talk some sense into her. We have to tell her that she's clearly not over Brad and that if she marries Chris it's just a set up for heartache and another trip to divorce court. We have to..."

Henry trailed off as he caught Reid's expression. Reid's eyebrows were raised and he scowled as if he were trying to figure out the best way to pick up a particularly unappealing hair from the middle of his meal.

"What?" Henry asked.

Reid uncrossed his arms and opened his mouth to reply, but shut it again without speaking when Henry continued on his monologue uninterrupted. "Oh," said Henry. "You're right. If we try to tell Katie what to do, she'll get all independent and huffy on us and tell us to butt out of her life. Bad idea. So we have to make her think it's _her _idea to break it off. So what do we do?"

He paused for a breath and then answered his own question, "We let her spend her evenings at home alone with Jacob while Chris attends to his Chief of Staff duties. And then we let her see how he doesn't respect her job and her abilities and appreciate everything that makes Bubbles, Bubbles. And we can casually remind her how happy she was with Brad and how beautiful and confident he made her feel."

Henry looked briefly at Reid then corrected himself, "Well, maybe that's not such a good idea because then she'll miss him even _more_. Maybe we should remind her about how_...Simon_ made her feel — playful, sexy, adventurous. Oh wait, you've never met Simon. Well, never mind, that'll just make it easier for you to point out his good points and leave out the bad."

Reid again opened his mouth to speak before Henry interrupted to conclude, "You know, Reid — you don't mind if I call you Reid, do you? You're not as bad as I thought."

At this point, Reid gave up on the conversation."I think I'll go help Chris and Katie with the coffee. Maddie and Luke look like they're about ready for dessert," he muttered, before making a beeline for the kitchen.

"Yeah, speaking of Luke, I don't think that dinner announcement went over so well. Hope you have a comfy couch!" Henry called after him, a self-satisfied smile on his face.

* * *

Dr. Rick finished his explanation of the five stages of grief and Reid finished his lamb stew. Katie was looking pensive, and Reid would have bet a week's worth of Elsie's Italian Jumbo subs (with extra hots, an old Harvard Square favorite) against a week of ER duty that she was thinking about Brad. He recognized th

at little thing she did when she was having a rough day, pushing the hair behind her left ear and looking off to the side to avoid eye contact. Though he no longer tried to escape to the confines of his room when he noticed that gesture, their "Brad sessions" (as they'd come to call them) always left him feeling emotionally empty, not to mention hungry.

Katie kept a pasted smile on her face as Dr. Rick talked about managing grief, telling the invisible viewing audience to "Rely on friends and family who love you to help get you through — but _not _if they're putting pressure on you — even if they're the most important people in your life. Don't let anyone tell you that you need to get moving on your life, or that you can't possibly be over your grief so soon. You'll start to know when you're ready to move on when you can focus more on what to do with what you have, and less on what you've lost. The tears _will_ come less often and then you'll be ready to embrace where life's journey will take you."

The night before Katie had moved in with Chris, Luke had spent the night at Lily's after a full day's packing of his own. Reid had awakened to the sound of sobbing and debated burying his head under the pillow and pretending not to have heard. But between worrying whether he were insane for agreeing to let Luke move in, and worrying about Katie, sleep was not easily coming.

After 10 minutes, Reid finally pulled on a robe and quietly knocked on the door to Katie's room, praying that Jacob was sound asleep. The sobbing stopped almost immediately and the house was filled with a new silence. When no one came to the door, he knocked again, a little more insistently this time. "Katie," he whispered, "I know you're awake. I'm up already. You might as well take advantage of that."

More silence. Reid was about to turn around to return to his room when he heard quiet footsteps, and Katie opened the door, her nose bright red, and cheeks marked with tears that she'd missed when she'd quickly swiped at her face with her sleeve. "I'm fine. Go to bed," Katie scolded tiredly, and moved to shut the door.

Reid put up a hand to block the door. "Now I know something's wrong. I've never known you to turn down a shoulder to cry on. C'mon. Out with it."

Katie hesitated before opening the door wider so Reid could look in. In her room, beside Jacob's crib, and lit by the dim amber light of his baby monitor, was a good-sized packing box, half-filled with photographs.

Reid angled his head questioningly. Katie motioned silently for him to take a seat on the couch. She tiptoed back into her room and removed an armful of framed pictures along with a small fabric covered box before returning to take a seat beside Reid.

Katie sat with the pile of photos in her lap and stood the first one up and Reid recognized the Hubbard squash. "Thanksgiving at Emma's," she acknowledged. Then she folded that one face down against her chest and picked up the next one. "The bear he won me at the county fair."

She flipped to the next one. "Our first Valentine's day together." She held up a photo of the room they sat in, except that the couch was nowhere in sight. Reid thought about asking where it had gone but decided that was unlikely to go over well. Where the couch normally sat, was a giant potted plant, and next to it, sat a large wicker picnic basket and a red checked blanket. Brad and Katie sat in the middle, their elbows intertwined as they fed each other sips of champagne, surrounded by a large spread of food. Reid's eyes widened as he mentally took inventory of the dishes he could recognize.

"Holy guacamole! How come you never made me a picnic like that?" Reid asked.

Katie elbowed him in the ribs and he mock winced before she continued.

"This is a still from when he proposed on-air," she continued. And this," she said smiling, "Was the first time he beat me at Mario Kart. Took him three months before he did it again."

She held up a photo of Vienna sitting on the couch, with Henry, Brad, and Katie sitting in front of her on the ground, their hands all pressed against her belly, "And this one was taken when Vienna agreed to be a surrogate for us."

"I still can't believe the lengths she went to to hang onto Hank. Hank? Of all people?" Reid remarked.

"Hey, be nice. That's my best friend you're insulting. Henry has some very redeeming qualities," reminded Katie.

"Like what?"

"Like loyalty. And friendship. He's been a really good friend to me," Katie argued.

Reid rolled his eyes and pointed to the memento box, "So, what's in there?"

Katie carefully untied the pink purple tulle ribbon and lifted off the delicate rice paper lid, pulling out the items to show him. "One of the first roses he bought me. The ticket stubs from our first movie together." She held up a child's plastic ring. "From our first shopping trip together. We were hoping to get one of those high-bounce rubber balls and this popped out instead. Brad got down on one knee and proposed with it right in the middle of the mall. And I laughed at him." She smiled and then her current situation came to mind again and wiped the smile from her face.

When Katie had finished listing all the items in the box, she stopped and looked at Reid, waiting for him to respond. He said the first thing that came to mind, "Katie – I've lived here for more than 10 months. How come I've never seen any of these things?"

Katie explained, "Well, right after Brad died, everything I saw reminded me of him. It hurt so much I couldn't stand it, so I took everything that reminded me of him and threw it in a box in the back of my closet. Well, not quite everything, since that would be everything in this house, but the things that were the hardest to be around."

Reid nodded in understanding.

"Then, when the pain wasn't so bad, I had started seeing Chris, and I didn't want him to be bombarded by constant reminders of Brad everywhere, so I left it all in the closet. But now…." Katie broke off and choked back a sob.

Reid finished her sentence for her, "But now that you're moving in with Chris, you don't know what to do with it all."

Katie nodded sadly.

"What do you want to do with it?" Reid asked.

"I want to keep it all with me, so that Jacob can grow up with it and get to know his dad. He never got a chance to get to know his dad and how much he was loved even before he was born. And honestly? I don't want to forget Brad, either." Katie started sobbing again and Reid placed an arm around her shoulder. She intuitively leaned back into his shoulder. "What if I forget Brad?"

"You won't," said Reid.

"How do you know?" Katie asked.

"Well, for one thing," Reid replied. "You've told me so much about him in the last 10 months that I won't ever forget him, and _I_ never met the guy. I'm sure Jacob's in good shape."

Katie chuckled in spite of herself.

"Seriously, Katie," Reid continued. "You may move on, but it doesn't mean that what you had with Brad never existed. You won't forget."

"But what do I do with all this stuff? I can't move it to Chris's."

"Can't because of you or Chris?" asked Reid.

"Both?" replied Katie uncertainly.

"You're welcome to leave it here until you decide," Reid offered.

"Thanks," Katie smiled. "But I decline. You and Luke are starting a life together here. You don't need my junk cluttering your lives."

"Phew," joked Reid. "I thought you might actually take me up on it. It'd be better than finding your bras in my laundry, though."

This time Katie actually laughed out loud. "Yeah, I guess _that_ won't be a problem any more."

"Margo's?" asked Reid.

"Nah – she's already got rooms full of Adam's and Casey's stuff."

"Craig's?"

"At the Lakeview? Very funny."

"Sorry, forgot. You got any better ideas?"

Katie paused for a moment then smiled. "As a matter of fact, I think I do."

"Do tell."

"I have space in my WOAK dressing room. Jacob comes to work with me a few times every week, so I could just keep it there."

"Don't you think Chris might feel you're hiding it from him there?"

"Maybe, but since he stopped appearing on the show, he hasn't been to the studio, so I don't think it'll ever come up."

Reid frowned a bit in surprise, but held his tongue. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," said Katie, indicating her mind was made up. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For knocking twice."

"Any time, Goldilocks," Reid smiled. "You'd better get some sleep now. You've got a big day ahead of you. And if Jacob wakes up again at 4am like he's been doing, you're going to be useless."

"Oh, has he been waking you, too?" Katie asked. "Sorry about that."

"He's probably waking Brad in his grave, but don't mind me," said Reid. "I don't need to be well rested to fix brains or anything."

Katie flashed a grateful smile and gave him a kiss on the cheek. " 'Night."

Reid nodded in response and waved wearily as he made his way back to his room.

* * *

**_A/N_**: _Okay, I admit it. I dug up a bunch of videos of Brad and Katie but couldn't confirm Brad's preference in underwear since most of the time they faded to black before he ever dropped his jeans - though it was kinda fun checking! Now why didn't Luke or Reid have this much shirtless time?_

And f_or anyone interested, there are a lengthy set of author's notes on my blog about the thoughts behind this three-chapter arc.  
_


	25. Deal

**Chapter 25: Deal**

Dr. Rick concluded his overview with some coping mechanisms. "Focus on getting through each day by finding positive ways to fill the void in your life," he said. "Don't just do things that make you feel better for a little while, like shopping, eating chocolate, or drinking, and don't let people talk you into trying a million things you never wanted to do just to occupy the time. Get done the things you need to get done, so you don't feel like you're digging yourself into a hole. But then find activities that make you happy and fulfilled. Try things you've always wanted to try. If you've lost a loved one, enjoy being alone and independent. Be strong. Be patient. Allow yourself to be happy, because you're allowed."

Katie wrapped up the introductory segment: "Thanks for all that great information, Dr. Rick. When we return, we'll be taking questions from the audience and calls from our home viewers. The lines are open, just dial (309) 555-WOAK" Katie finished, smiling at the camera. She smiled for the camera, again not as brightly as usual.

"And we're out," announced the disembodied voice.

As soon as they were clear, Katie slumped back in her chair. The spot lights were turned off and a host of crew began their work. Several staffers dispersed up the aisles in the studio audience, variously positioning microphones, or speaking with the audience members tentatively making their way over to the microphones.

Meanwhile, Katie was surrounded by assistants, with one touching up makeup, another hair, and a third bringing her a glass of water. Reid caught her eye and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring nod of the head and a wink. Katie smiled back weakly, but gratefully. Reid briefly wondered if Katie had stopped crying herself to sleep or if somehow she still suffered from the nasty combination of nightmares and insomnia...and if so, if Chris had noticed.

As assistants poked and preened, Reid could tell Katie would have been happy to call it an afternoon and go home to soak in a hot tub. Yet her professionalism won out, and he was impressed with how she stoic she remained until the commercial break, alternating between reading cue cards and dictating instructions to the various assistants who came and went.

Reid had finished his stew and turned his attention to the mound of caramelized fruit on his second plate, momentarily forgetting about Luke, Noah, Katie, and Dr. Rick. He inhaled a giant mouthful and smiled smiled gratefully at Katie. She had been absorbed in studying her notes but glanced up and caught his goofy smile. As Reid shrugged helplessly in reply, Katie broke into a brief and genuine laugh before catching the live count.

"And we're on in 5-4-3-2-1," said the voice in the darkness.

"Welcome back to Oakdale Now," said Katie, her smile reflecting the residual of her post-bananas laugh. "Our guest today is Dr. Rick, who has been explaining the stages of grief. For the next half-hour, we'll be taking questions from the audience and from the phones. If you'd like to call, dial (XXX) 555-WOAK."

As audience members and callers peppered Dr. Rick with questions, Reid's mind wandered back to the day when Luke moved in. As predicted, Jacob definitively announced his presence at 4:00 am and Reid could hear a tired and still somewhat tearful Katie singing lullabies from the next room. Yet by the time Chris arrived at 8:00 am, with Tom and Margo in tow, she had showered, done her makeup and put on a smile.

Reid, still a bit groggy from lack of sleep, ate his breakfast silently in the kitchen as they said their hellos and gushed about how excited they all were for the big move. He watched Katie closely and could see that despite her smile and cheerful attitude, she was still sullen when she thought no one was paying attention.

They had loaded the U-Haul and after a brief discussion between Tom and Chris over who should drive, they set off shortly after noon, just as Luke and Casey pulled up in Holden's beat-up old F-150. With no major furniture to move, Luke had decided not to bother with a moving van, but it meant nearly a half-dozen trips spread through the day. Luke concentrated on unpacking while Reid cleared the empty boxes and kept him company. But even with Holden and Casey doing all the loading at both Lily's and farm, it still took until near dinnertime to get Luke mostly settled. Luke treated everyone to pizza at the end, and they sat on the floor gathered around the coffee table, toasting Luke's new environs with lemon sodas.

Luke and Reid had decided to convert Katie's bedroom into a joint office with sofabed. The new items had arrived mid-afternoon, and the furniture store was good enough to set up all the furniture while Reid supervised and Luke continued his unpacking in the bedroom and kitchen.

It was nearly 10pm by the time the pizza was gone and the NFL game of the week ended. As soon as they'd closed the door on Holden and Casey, Luke had gone straight into the office to continue unpacking. Reid stared after him asking, "Now? Why don't you just let it wait until morning. It's just your office."

"Because," said Luke, "I'm going to be spending a lot of time in here. I want to make it feel like home as soon as I can."

"Suit yourself," Reid replied, grabbing the half-empty bowl of popcorn and plopping down on the new sofabed. Luke broke the seal on the box and started unpacking the contents of his desk. First the basics — pens, stapler, paper, business cards, calculator, and the like and then sentimental items that he used to fill a bulletin board and a brown, leather-lined box.

The sofabed was placed adjacent to Luke's desk, so Luke intermittently leaned over for a salty-buttery kiss to keep Reid entertained as he worked his way through the boxes. Reid watched with mild curiosity, but mostly he spent the next few hours enjoying the view and daydreaming about what life with Luke Snyder would be like.

Luke chatted on as he pulled items out of the box, describing the various items, despite the fact that it was clear that Reid was only half-paying attention, at best. Among the items were a lopsided pottery mug and a napkin caddy — made by Nathalie and Ethan, respectively — a certificate for third place a Southern Illinois high school writing competition, and photos of Abigail and Aaron.

When Luke added a photo of his 21st birthday to the collection, Reid silently winced. The photo was taken in the WOAK studios. Among the dozens of cast and crew, Reid recognized a gaggle of Snyders, Lucinda, Casey and Alison, Will and Gwen, Maddie, with Luke front and center, cutting his cake...and Noah, standing behind Luke with his arms around his waist. The thought of Noah Mayer's mug staring at him from across the room put a damper on his mood.

"Be right back," Reid muttered, feeling like he could use a beer. But upon arriving in the kitchen he remembered that he'd given Katie rights to all the alcohol in the house in preparation for Luke's arrival. "Shit," he thought, grabbing the nearest soda.

Luke had added several more items to his bulletin board while Reid was gone, including a photo of himself as best man at one of Holden and Lily's weddings, his basketball varsity letter, the requisite photo of a Snyder Thanksgiving, and several articles about Foundation grant recipients. Luke looked up to see Reid holding a soda. "Aw, you didn't bring me one," he joked with a lopsided grin. Reid glared back at him, still miffed at seeing Noah's photo. Misinterpreting the cause of Reid's annoyance, Luke withdrew his request in surprise. "Okay, just kidding! I can get myself one later." He made a mental note not to ask Reid to get him any more drinks.

"Okay," announced Luke. "Almost done. Just the last few things I usually keep tucked away in my desk. Wanna see?"

Reid shrugged non-committally.

Not waiting for Reid's response, Luke picked up the messenger bag he'd hung over his chair earlier and pulled out a small Ziploc bag. "So here," he said, pulling an item out of the bag and handing it to Reid to see. "My Grimaldi birth ring. Damian always makes such a big deal about how 'all the Grimaldi men have worn these for centuries.' " He put on his best Maltese swagger and did his best Damian Grimaldi imitation for the last sentence.

Reid turned the ring over squinting at the inscription inside – _Consanguineitá Amore Forza._ "That explains a lot," he said, handing the ring back.

Luke nodded in agreement, tossing the ring into the box. "And these, these were the wristbands that my mom and Ethan wore in the hospital when he was born."

"When your mom was in a coma?" asked Reid in surprise.

Luke nodded.

"Why do you keep those?" Reid asked, frowning.

"Because they remind me of what's important. Of how much she loves me. Why I should listen before jumping to conclusions," Luke replied.

It was Reid's turn to nod.

Luke then pulled out what appeared to be a used rifle shot. "What the hell is that?" asked Reid, a bit alarmed.

"It was the bullet that missed me when Noah's dad tried to kill me," Luke replied matter-of-factly. "After he was convicted they were going to get rid of the evidence from the closed cases, so I asked Margo if I could have it."

"Why in god's name would you do that?" Reid asked. "Never mind. Let me guess – to remind you how precious life is?"

Luke nodded, smiling. "Now you get it."

"If that son of a bitch ever comes within 50 miles of you again, I swear I'll — " Reid started.

Luke beamed. "I love it when you get protective. But I'll be fine. Winston Mayer will be safely behind bars at Statesville for a long time to come." He leaned over and sat down on the arm of the sofabed next to Reid and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"My dad gave me this keychain when I was five, for good luck," Luke said, handing Reid a small ring with a pewter maple leaf attached to it. "Because of the maples all over the Farm. We used to spend every autumn raking them into big piles and then jumping on then and making a godawful mess. We probably raked the leaves up three or four times over, but never even noticed because we were having so much fun,. Then we'd have a massive bonfire with warm cider and hotdogs and roasted marshmallows." Luke smiled at the memory. "I used to carry this around with me all the time as a kid. I had it in my pocket when I was dragged off to Malta. When I was alone in the church, I wished on it every night that I could go home."

"Oh, Luke," Reid began, but stopped when Luke shook his head.

"It's okay, Reid," said Luke reassuringly. "It's all in the past."

"Why'd you stop carrying it around?""

"For a long time, looking at it gave me nightmares," Luke replied somberly. "But later, I never really felt the need to carry it around any more. I guess I felt like it did its job," Luke shrugged, pulling the next item out. "And this," he said dramatically, "Is a fishing lure."

"That's it?" asked Reid. "Just a fishing lure?"

"Yeah, it's just a fishing lure."

"No story behind it?" Reid asked suspiciously.

"Well, there's nothing special about this particular one, but it's the same kind that my dad always uses. We used one just like it the first time he took me fishing at the Pond. But, well, that one is not so pretty to look at any more. Nor are any of the others we've actually used," Luke joked. "We even took a bunch with us camping that time in California. It's his favorite kind – not sure why, thought; it doesn't seem to work very well. We never catch much, but we sure spend a lot of time trying."

Luke had a flash of realization and smiled like a cat who swallowed a canary, having solved his own little mystery. "_That_ must be why he likes them. We keep going out, and we usually stay until we catch something – which usually takes _hours, _so we just hang out and talk. Sometimes we hang out and don't talk. God, I love those hours."

"Yeah," said Reid. "I can see why you'd like hanging out with Holden. I like him." The corners of Reid's mouth turned upwards in a barely perceptible smile.

Luke smiled back at Reid. "Me too." He looked down to see what was left to pull out of the bag, and realized he'd forgotten about the only remaining item. He looked aside awkwardly and folded the top over the bag and stuffed it in his pocket. He got up from his perch and headed towards the door. "I think I'm going to get myself that soda now," he said.

"Hey," Reid called out, his curiosity piqued. "What's the last thing in the bag?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Luke mumbled.

"Oh c'mon, Luke," Reid cajoled. "You've shown me everything else your warped little heart has deemed important enough to preserve. What could be so bad?"

"Well," said Luke, "You tell me."

He walked back to the sofabed and sat down next to Reid, avoiding eye contact. He pulled the bag out of his pocket and carefully pulled it open and tipped out a wristwatch in his hand.

"A watch?" asked Reid. "What's so terrible about a watch?"

Luke barely dared to respond. Without looking up, he handed it, silently, to Reid. Reid looked at it and noticed it bore a striking resemblance to his own, with a wide dark leather strap, Roman numeral markings, a large black face. Its battery had died and the hands were frozen at 3:19. He turned it over and saw there was an engraved message on the back. _Worth the wait._

Reid frowned briefly as he processed the information and then understood both the likely origin of the watch and Luke's odd behavior. He tossed the watch back in Luke's lap and angrily stood to leave. The watch bounced off Luke's legs and slid onto the floor where it lay unattended.

"Luke, why are you here?" Reid asked.

"_What?"_ Luke asked incredulously.

"Why are you moving in? With me?" Reid demanded.

Luke couldn't decide if he was more upset that he'd hurt Reid's feelings, or angry that Reid was questioning his motivations. His retort was quick and sharp: "Duh, because I love you and I think you love me and we want to spend as much time together as we can for the foreseeable future."

"Sure you don't want Noah to join us?" asked Reid, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"That's not how it is," Luke replied, "And you know that."

"Not real obvious," Reid said. "I didn't say anything when you put up that photo of the two of you with Noah's arms wrapped around you — "

"What photo of the two of us?" Luke asked, not making the connection.

"That one, you moron," Reid said, jabbing an angry finger at the birthday picture on the bulletin board.

"Jesus Christ, Reid," Luke sighed wearily. "In case you didn't notice, it was my 21st birthday party. Practically everyone I care about in the world — except for you, _since I hadn't met you yet — _was there that day. That was a really special day for me. And I'm sorry that Noah happened to be my boyfriend at the time."

Luke paused for a moment to think before correcting himself. "No, I'm not sorry that he was my boyfriend at the time. I'm sorry that putting up a photo of an important moment in my life, which happens to contain an image of my boyfriend at the time, is clearly upsetting to you. What the hell do you expect me to do – PhotoShop him out of the middle of the photograph?"

"You could just not put it up here – in _our_ house," Reid replied.

"Yes," said Luke, "This is _our _house now. And this is _not_ how I wanted spend our first night together in _our _house." He stood to face Reid.

"Me neither," Reid replied, his voice starting to escalate in both pitch and volume. "But Mr Mayer seems to have a way of sticking his damned nose in our business, even when he's a thousand miles away. Or unconscious. It's been this way since the day of his surgery when you kissed me like you meant it and then bolted out the door to check on Noah."

"Noah was in a coma, for god's sake," Luke replied angrily.

"He wasn't when you were holding hands and making kissy faces at each other a few days later," Reid said.

Luke took two steps closer so he stood barely half an arm's length away from Reid. "For your information, I was _not _making kissy faces at Noah. My back was to the door and _you_ are making ludicrous assumptions." He paused to take a breath and continued, "Noah didn't know that you and I were together then, and you know what? We _weren't. _You said it yourself – 'We'd kissed a few times and nearly had sex.' And then _you_ told me I shouldn't say anything because it would jeopardize Noah's recovery. Noah needed a hand to hold – he needed a _friend_. And since I _couldn't_ tell him that I couldn't hold his hand because I had the hots for his doctor who, by the way, was acting like a jealous son-of-a-bitch, what the hell was I supposed to do?"

Reid started to respond before Luke cut him off. "Besides, I'm not the only one in this relationship with a Noah problem. _You_ were the one who were obsessed with calling him my 'boyfriend' even though we were broken up. That day we were role-playing with the nurses, just because you were doing something you actually found hard, you popped out with 'I'm not Noah.' Why the hell would I _want_ you to be Noah? We were miserable, in case you forgot. And don't tell me you don't remember that day we were running all over town looking for Gabriel Carras. _You_ were the one who kept asking me if I wanted to go check on Noah."

"Oh really?" asked Reid. "Is that why you initiated that mindblowing kiss, and then 20 minutes later you told me you were in love with Noah and then told _him_ you wanted to get back together?"

Luke paused, unsure how to respond. He knew Reid was right in this case; he had given Reid every reason to be angry and insecure that afternoon. Luke had been ready for Reid to take him to bed right then, right there, on the floor of his mother's living room. He had wanted Reid so badly, his skin singed everywhere Reid had kissed him. As Reid had started to reach his hands under Luke's shirt, every square inch of his skin screamed to be touched. He'd already been on the verge of an emotional explosion when he looked up and saw Noah.

As he and Reid stood there now, in _their_ house, yelling at each other, Luke could feel a growing panic. _What if this was a mistake? What if this conversation was going to replay itself every few months until the end of time?_ Reid stared him expectantly waiting for an answer. When none was forthcoming, he turned to leave, taking the words out of Luke's mouth: "This was a mistake."

"No," Luke said softly. "It's not. Don't go."

"Why the hell shouldn't I?" Reid asked, bitterly.

"Because I just spent three days packing and a goddamned long day unpacking and I sure as hell am not going anywhere," Luke replied. "And neither are you. I am not letting you run away to hide this time. Noah is my _past_. _You_ are my present. And I'm sick and tired of him coming between us."

"Well, amen to that," Reid injected sarcastically.

"So if I'm staying," Luke continued, "So are you. And we are finishing this conversation once and for all."

Reid folded his arms tightly across his chest. "All right, then. You want to talk? Talk."

Luke took a moment to regroup before speaking. "That day, when Noah got out of the hospital, I freaked," Luke began. "You and I were just starting something and I didn't even know what to call it at the time. We had just spent a really nice day together for the first time. And I knew you wanted me, and god knows I wanted you, but I didn't know if it would become love or if it was just lust. The last thing I wanted was to fall for you only to find that you were only in it for the sex."

Reid's posture and voice softened a bit. "I think you knew me better than that, Luke."

"Maybe, but I didn't let myself believe it," Luke said. "Not yet at least. And Noah was so vulnerable from his surgery and we were _lying_ to him. I _wanted _so bad to tell him, so we could just move on, and not be sneaking around, but you said not to. So then, when he looked through the window and caught us about to..."

"About to what, Luke?" Reid asked

Luke squirmed.

Reid completed the thought for him: "About to start going at it hot and heavy just long enough for you to think about Noah, panic, and run away?"

"It wasn't like that," Luke insisted.

"Then why did something always come up – usually something having to do with Noah Mayer. Why did we wait so long?"

"Are you _sorry_ we waited?" Luke asked angrily. Then, he was hit with a wave of insecurity, and he asked uncertainly, "Didn't it mean anything to you?"

Now it was Reid's turn to feel bad. "No. I mean, Yes," he said. Seeing the panicked look growing on Luke's face he tried to clear up the confusion. "No, I'm not sorry we waited, though I was frustrated as hell. And yes, of course it meant something to me. It meant everything to me."

"Me too."

"But until we made love, I really didn't know how you felt about me," Reid replied.

"Because we hadn't slept together yet?" Luke asked.

"No. Well maybe partially. But more because you still had a goddamned picture of Noah next to your bed," Reid said.

"Oh jeez," Luke muttered. "I haven't changed my room in _years. _It's not like I stared at Noah's picture every night before going to sleep. It was just there. Like my high school yearbook, and my pinewood derby cars. And, I didn't really mean for you to see it." Luke rationalized.

"And that makes it better? You did invite me to your house, remember?"

"Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I," Luke admitted sheepishly. "I invited you to dinner. I didn't think you'd come up to my room to see my etchings." The memories of that afternoon were painful enough that both were aware that Reid had not been up since to observe for himself that the picture had been quietly put away only a few hours later.

"No, just Noah, right? 'Cause of course, you and Noah never had _intimate relations _up there, right?" Reid asked.

"That was different," Luke replied. "We were just kids, fooling around."

"Not helping," Reid snorted derisively. "And don't think I didn't see that background on your laptop."

"You noticed_ that_?" Luke asked, surprised.

"For chrissakes, Luke. We worked together for nearly four months on the hospital wing before you changed it!" Reid replied. "We reviewed reports, emails, spreadsheets, websites. _Of course_ I noticed it."

"Oh," Luke replied, now truly chastized. He lowered his voice. "Sorry about that. I guess I didn't really think about it that way. I certainly didn't think you'd noticed it. And until I knew what was going on between _us_, I didn't want to jinx it by putting up a new picture prematurely. Besides, I didn't even have any pictures of you to put up until I bribed the photographer at Bob's retirement dinner since _somebody _refuses to actually pose for any."

Reid rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Okay," Luke said. "I guess I could have swapped it sooner for a picture of my family. Or a tank full of fish. Or maybe...a green meadow with dancing cows?" Luke weakly grinned his lopsided grin, hoping to play on Reid's weakness.

Reid smiled a bit in spite of himself.

Luke went to take a seat on the sofabed, gently tugging at Reid's hand until he followed and sat down beside him.

Luke held onto Reid's hand while Reid stared blindly at the watch still sitting on the ground. "You're right," Luke said. "I've been an idiot. I've been insensitive, and I'm truly, truly sorry about that."

Before continuing, he touched Reid's chin with his hand to tilt his head up and make eye contact. Reid reluctantly returned Luke's gaze. "But Reid, if this is going to work, you have to trust me. I am here because I am in love _you _and I _want_ to be here...with _you. _Noah's been gone almost three months now. Do I really bring him up that often still?"

Reid mentally did the calculus and had to agree – Noah had rarely come up in the last few months.

"Before you showed up, Noah and I had been on the rocks for months, even if we weren't officially broken up. Christ, we probably hadn't been right for each other for years if you really think about it."

"I don't _want _to think about it," Reid interjected.

"No, of course not." Luke smiled. "We must've broken up a half-dozen times during our last year or two together. Each time I tried to convince myself that it would all be okay in the end. And each time, I managed to talk Noah into staying, and I probably shouldn't have. But before you came along, Noah was the only person I'd ever loved who ever loved me back. If I let him go, I wasn't sure I was ever going to find someone who loved me. But even before you kissed me, I had finally gotten to a point where I was okay with where I was with Noah."

"Is that why you spent the entire flight to Dallas muttering to yourself about Richard?" Reid asked skeptically.

"I said that out loud?" Luke said, embarrassed. "Sorry about that. Reflex, I guess. Like when you get in the car to drive to drive someplace and you realize it's someplace you haven't been in years but you're going on autopilot. It wasn't so much that I wanted Noah back, but just that he was interested in somebody that wasn't me. I was just pissed that Noah found someone he liked when he didn't want me. Does that make sense?"

"Not really," Reid replied.

Luke struggled for a good analogy. "It's like when you're a kid, and your best friend gives this other kid a huge Chicken Run Lego set for his birthday, and he gives you a Harry Potter magic wand. And even though you love Harry Potter and you hate Chicken Run, you're mad because the other kid got the bigger present. Does that make more sense?"

"Not really," Reid replied again, "But close enough. I think I get what you're saying."

"Aren't you curious what I spent the flight home thinking about?" Luke asked.

"I thought you were asleep."

"Only pretending," Luke confessed. "What I really wanted was some time to think alone, but that was kinda hard on my grandmother's plane. You had just dropped a rather big bombshell on me, you know. There I was, thinking you hated my guts and then the next thing I know you'd kissed me."

"I did," Reid agreed.

"I thought about how, despite trying to remind myself to ignore them, your smiles made me weak in the knees. I thought about how you paused after I asked you why you wouldn't call me Luke and wondered what you were thinking at that time. I thought about how different you were when you talked about Annie Judd, and how much I liked the Reid Oliver who could let down his guard and admit he actually cared about someone."

Reid silently guffawed and rolled his eyes.

"And I thought about how badly I'd wanted to put an arm around you to let you know you didn't need to be so alone, but I didn't dare." Then Luke chuckled softly to himself, "And I remembered that one brief, insane moment after you'd left, when I'd dreamed that you'd returned to my hotel room that night. It was a nice fantasy," Luke said, smiling at the memory, "But it had never occurred to me that you actually wanted me, or my help. I assumed you'd only taken it because I'd insisted and it would help your career."

Reid shook his head silently to indicate that wasn't the case.

"Yeah, but how was I supposed to know that?" Luke pause to let the rhetorical quetion think in before continuing. "And I thought about _you_ saying how you thought I'd only come to Dallas for Noah's sake, but that really I'd been so focused on you I hadn't even thought about Noah until you brought him up."

"Of course, if I hadn't brought him up, he inevitably would have come up." Reid snidely replied. "Oh, in fact, as I recall, he did happen to conveniently call just then."

"Yes, but _I'm_ glad he called, because it was only when I was talking to him that I was able to admit to myself how nice it was to spend time with you with. And of course, I couldn't stop thinking about how you riding that bull was just about the goddamn sexiest fucking thing I'd ever seen."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" Reid asked.

"Are you insane?" Luke asked. "I was only a couple hours removed from thinking you hated my guts. I was having a little bit of a hard time wrapping my head around all that."

"So I gathered by the way you backed out of the hotel room then sat on the very, _very_ far side of the cab all the way to the airport."

"Yeah, but those few hours on the plane?" Luke continued. "It gave me time to rethink about our encounters in a new light. I guess I realized the signs that you had feelings for me were there, but I just assumed I was misinterpreting them."

"And what about your feelings?"

"I think my heart figured it out before my head did," Luke smiled bashfully. "If I'm really honest with myself, I'd have to admit that was one of the reasons I insisted on a board seat. I guess I kinda wanted an excuse to spend more time with you."

Reid frowned in surprise.

"As much of a jerk as you were — and you _definitely _were (and still are) a complete jerk sometimes — you made me think; you made me feel again; and you made me fight...and that's a good thing. You made me figure out what I really wanted and to fight for it, instead of accepting, or god-forbid, begging for it. And I kinda like to think you're worth it."

Reid looked down into his lap as he processed Luke's latest confession.

"Reid, I love you. But, Noah is still my friend, and we were together for more than two years. That's a _long _time. He's going to come up once in awhile because there will be things that he's told me that are relevant to what's happening in _our_ lives now, or things that he's given me that are going to turn up now that we're living together. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells every time something that happens to be associated with him comes up. You wouldn't care if Casey gave me the coffee mug I'm using, or that Will emailed an article he thought we'd be interested in."

"You didn't sleep with Casey or Will," Reid replied.

"Is that what this is about?" Luke asked. "The fact that you can't stand the fact that Noah and I slept together?"

Reid silently harumphed and thought about taking the high road and biting his tongue. But he thought again and decided that Luke was right, they should finish this conversation once and for all. "All right," he relented. "Yes. I admit it. I _cannot stand_ the thought of you with another man. _Any_ other man. The thought of someone else kissing you, touching you, making love to you... It makes my skin crawl." Reid visibly shuddered.

Luke was both touched and taken aback by the honesty and intensity of Reid's response. "It's not like I was _your _first," he said.

"Yeah, but I wasn't in love with any of them," Reid replied.

"But you dated that one guy for nearly a year," Luke protested.

"Not the same," Reid replied. "Do you find yourself fighting the memory of Michael Webber?"

"No," Luke replied. "But you never talk about him."

"Ah-ha!" Reid replied. "See! My point, exactly."

"That's not fair," Luke said. "He hasn't been part of your life for over a decade. And you yourself just said you weren't in love with him. And from what little you have told me about him, I don't get the feeling you shared all that much together even when you were dating. I can't change the fact that I was once in love with Noah, and yeah, we slept together."

Reid grunted to avoid admitting Luke was right.

"A _lot_ happened to me while Noah and I were together. Just because I remember it, or even if I _want _to remember parts of that time, doesn't mean that I want to relive it, or that I have any remote interest in getting back together with him. Weren't you paying attention when I showed you all this stuff?" Luke gestured at the contents of the box.

Reid frowned, not quite understanding the connection.

"For a brain surgeon," Luke smiled, "You can be really dense sometimes."

Reid started to respond, but stopped himself when Luke continued. "Think about it, you dope. I keep things in this box that helped make me who I am today. Things that are important to me. But do you think I really look back fondly at most of these things? Well, with the exception of the fishing lure."

Luke stopped to let Reid process the information; he could almost hear the gears whirring inside that genius brain of Reid's, trying to get some gray matter wrapped around the dizzying range of emotions fighting for dominance in his head.

"In fact," Luke said, "I think this lure deserves special treatment. He stood up and fished it out of the box and hung it prominently from the elbow on his desk lamp. Then he retrieved the watch from the floor, glanced at it briefly to check for visible damage, and tossed it into his box before placing it far in the back of his top desk drawer.

As he closed the drawer, he said, "Reid, if it really bothers you, I'll take down the photo. But you have nothing to worry about. Do you remember when you saw Noah and me laughing at Java and then went and got yourself an offer from the Mayo Clinic?"

"Yeah?" said Reid, unsure where this newest line of discussion was going.

"Do you know what Noah and I were talking about?" Luke asked.

"I don't think I want to know," Reid replied warily. "You looked awfully chummy."

"That's a good word for it," Luke laughed. "Chummy. Because that's _all_ it was. We were being friends. Noah was talking about making films and we were joking that those creepy nutjobs who kidnapped us, Zac and Zoe, would make the subject of a great _horror_ flick. Now _that's_ romantic, isn't it?"

"Really?" asked Reid, wrinkling his nose.

"Really," Luke smiled. "It was _nothing_. And since _you_ jumped to the wrong conclusion and got all bent out of shape, and _stopped talking to me_, if it hadn't been for Noah — "

"There you go bringing him up again," Reid cautioned.

"Get over yourself, Reid," Luke retorted. "If it hadn't been for Noah telling me that you had quit your job for me, _you _would be freezing your gorgeous little ass off in the frozen tundra of Minneapolis. So you owe him."

"Rochester," Reid corrected, reflexively.

"Whatever," Luke dismissed. "In fact, we both kind of owe him."

"And why is that?" asked Reid, raising an eyebrow.

"Because if it hadn't been for Noah bulldozing his way up onto that roof to rig those fireworks," Luke replied, "You and I would never have met. So I am _not_ sorry that Noah was a part of my life."

Reid reluctantly agreed, though he refused to let Luke have the satisfaction of having made a good point. Reid untensed his shoulders and relaxed back, just enough for Luke to read the change in body language.

"Tell you what," Luke said, taking advantage of the opening to climb onto Reid's lap to face him. "I swear I will not leave any more reminders of Noah Mayer around the house or to bring him up unnecessarily, if _you_ promise to stop overreacting and asking if I want to get back together with him. Deal?"

Reid thought for a moment, trying to decide if he could live with this bargain with the devil. Luke draped his arms around Reid's shoulders and tilted his head to prompt a reply. "Okay, deal" Reid finally said, wrapping his arms around Luke's waist. He quietly added, "And you can keep the photo up."

"Thank you," Luke said. "I'm glad that's all settled, because I'm officially done unpacking for tonight," he said, smiling mischievously. Then he lowered his voice seductively and whispered, "So now, I can spend some time showing you just how much I _want_ to be here. And, Dr. Oliver," he said, leaning in for a kiss, "I believe we have some rooms to christen, don't you?"

* * *

**_A/N: _**_Yes, I know Luke did not have his 21st birthday while at WOAK, but I thought I would take advantage of the fact that I'm going off-canon to SORAS Luke a few years - both because I wanted his birthday photo to be a significant milestone, and for other reasons that will come up later._

_The inscription on the ring (I hope!) translates to Blood, Love, Strength. And yes, Reid can read enough Italian to translate that on his own.  
_


	26. One New Message

**Chapter 26: One New Message**

Reid was still grinning conspiratorially to himself remembering his first night with Luke as co-habitators, when Katie finished taping and appeared seemingly instantaneously at his side.

"So," she asked, "You're smiling. That's a good sign. How're we doing?"

"Much better," Reid said. "Thanks for the food. I lost my appetite after calling Luke this morning, and then I left the hospital before I got lunch."

"You missed two meals?" Katie asked. "No wonder you're a basket case. C'mon, walk with me back to the dressing room and we can talk."

Reid nodded agreeably and he set off following closely to avoid getting lost in the maze of corridors.

"So, whatdja think?" she asked.

"Not nearly as bad as I expected," Reid replied.

"Why, Reid," said Katie, smiling in surprise. "I think I'll take that as a compliment."

"No, seriously," Reid said. "I thought you asked good questions. You showed great empathy for that woman whose girlfriend just died, and you held it together when that caller brought up Brad. I was impressed."

"Well, hello there, handsome," joked Katie. "I don't know what you've done with Reid Oliver, but I kinda like _you._ You wanna be my maid of honor?"

Reid laughed easily as they arrived at the door to Katie's dressing room. He watched as her gaze paused briefly on the photo of her and Jacob and then turned her key in the lock. Once inside, she saw her gaze sweep by the photo of her and Brad before she noticed him watching and quickly averted her eyes.

Katie grabbed several hangers of clothes off the rack and ducked behind a folding screen to change. "Be right back. Make yourself comfortable," she said.

Reid sat down on the chintz-covered couch; as he looked around the room he noticed that what he'd thought was a small table looked suspiciously like a corrugated box peeking out from underneath a tablecloth.

"Hey, Katie," he called.

"Yeah, what's up?" she asked cheerfully.

"What's in the box?" he asked.

"What box?" she asked, a slight wobble in her voice betraying her fear that this topic would come up.

"You know which box I mean," said Reid. "The one with the flowers and the pretty little doodads on it."

"Oh," said Katie. "That one."

Reid waited for her to continue. She didn't.

"You can't hide behind that screen forever, Katie," he said. "You might as well come out."

Katie emerged, having changed into jeans and a pullover top. She draped her suit and blouse on the back of the rocker and sat down heavily by his side.

"So do you still look in there?" he asked.

She nodded glumly in response.

"How often?"

Katie warily lifted her eyes to meet his and then turned back to her lap where she uncomfortably sandwiched her hands between her legs.

"That bad?" Reid asked.

"Worse," said Katie. "That's why it has all that stuff on top of it."

"To keep you from looking?" asked Reid.

Katie nodded. "There's not a day that goes by when I don't think about Brad."

"Still?"

Katie nodded again.

"Katie," said Reid, concerned, "Weren't you paying attention to Dr. Dick or whatever his name is?"

"Rick," corrected Katie. "I thought you hated TV pop-psychiatrists."

"I do," agreed Reid. "But he was actually making some sense."

"Well, gee, Dr. Oliver, I though your specialty was the brain," replied Katie.

"You're deflecting, again," cautioned Reid. He tentatively added, "If you still feel so strongly about Brad, are you sure you're ready for all this?"

"Of course I'm ready for _all this_," Katie snapped. "I'm just a little...fond of some of Brad's old pictures."

Reid recognized the defense mechanism and retreated, "Okay, okay. If you say so. Then, why don't you just pick out a few items and move them to your new house, so you don't have to sneak around to see them?"

"I'm not sneaking around," Katie replied.

"With Chris?" asked Katie. "No way."

"Why not?" asked Reid.

"Yeah, right, like you'd put up with mementos of Noah Mayer in _your_ house?" asked Katie.

"Actually, I do," Reid replied softly.

"You _do?"_ said Katie in surprise.

"Yeah, but it wasn't easy," Reid admitted. "We kind of had a knock-down drag-out battle over Noah the night Luke moved in with all his knick-knacks."

"That doesn't sound so good."

"Well, it wasn't," agreed Reid. "At least the argument wasn't any fun."

"Bet the making up was better," said Katie, waggling her eyes lasciviously.

"Very funny," said Reid, unable to suppress a knowing smile, though he continued without skipping a beat. "But we finally had everything out in the open. And Luke agreed to stop bringing up Noah if I would stop asking about him...and overreacting."

"And...?" prompted Katie.

"Well, after you made me promise the same thing, I've been good!" said Reid in his defense. "I haven't raised Noah at all since then."

"Yeah, but..." Katie raised her eyebrow to remind him of the reason for his impromptu visit.

"But...I guess you could say I overreacted," Reid conceded. "You won't tell Luke, will you?"

"It'll be our little secret," she replied, patting the hands folder on his lap in a mock-patronizing way.

"Thanks," smiled Reid. "So what about Chris and Brad? Jacob shouldn't have to come here to be reminded of his dad. He'll think all you and Brad ever shared was work. He's going to think he was conceived on-air."

"Well..." Katie began, smiling.

"Too much information!" Reid put his hands over his ears and squinched his eyes shut, hoping to preclude any mental images of Katie and Brad being intimate.

"Seriously, though, I guess you're right," she acknowledged. "Maybe just one. But only for Jacob's room. He deserves to see his dad every day." She walked over and picked out a photo and returned to sit beside Reid on the couch. She looked at the photo and wiped away the tear that finally slipped down her face. "Thanks, Reid."

Reid put an arm around her shoulder as she leaned onto his. "Any time, Goldilocks," he said, kissing her gently on the top of her head.

**

* * *

**

Reid and Katie had been sitting silently on the couch for some time, each absorbed in their own thoughts, when a knock came gently on the door and Tina poked her nose in. Seeing them on the couch, she turned bright pink and muttered, "Oh, sorry I'll come back later."

Reid instinctively retracted his arm like a teenager caught by his parents, but Katie pulled it back over her shoulder, not quite ready to let it go. "No, Tina, come in," she said smiling reassuringly. "It's fine. Reid here was just giving me a pep talk."

"Brad?" asked Tina, knowingly.

Katie nodded. "So, what's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know tomorrow's call sheets are up," she said, brandishing a sheaf of papers. "In addition to that new author and the state rep interview, we just got word that some kid saved his little brother from getting hit by a car this afternoon. Hogan's doing the prep-work on that one right now, but I have the brief here for you."

"Thanks," smiled Katie, as Tina handed her the stack of files.

Tina turned to leave but stopped at the door. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I took care of that photo you asked me to email Luke."

Reid sat up at the mention of Luke. "What photo?"

"That one," said Tina, pointing to the one on Katie's desk.

Reid turned to Katie, "You asked her to send a copy of the photo to Luke?"

"Yeah," she replied. "It was Luke's idea. That's why he emailed me. Something about his phone dying and needing new everything."

"He asked you to send him a photo? Of us?" Reid asked. He tried to suppress a smile, but one escaped despite his best efforts to keep it in check.

Tina watched their exchange silently then asked, "Do you want me to send you one, too, Dr. Oliver?"

"Really?" Reid replied, now completely unable to avoid grinning dopily in response to the offer. He tentatively added, "Can I get a big one, like Katie's?" Then, embarrassed by the show of emotion and remembering Katie's "good manners lessons", he squelched the smile and soberly added. "Please?"

"Not a problem, Dr. Oliver," Tina replied cheerfully. "Do you need anything else from me, Katie? If not, I'm going to go grab lunch."

"No, I'm all set," Katie replied. "But before you go, can you just send a copy of the photo to the Art Department? Tell them to print an 8x10, high-gloss and framed, and to put it on my personal account. I'll be by to pick it up later. I can take care of emailing a copy to Reid now that I'm done taping."

"Will do," Tina smiled. "I'll stop in when I get back."

"Thanks, Tina," Katie said.

Tina nodded her goodbye to Reid and pulled the door shut.

Katie crossed her arms and stared at Reid, smiling.

"_What_?" he asked, scowling.

"I _told_ you you were being ridiculous," Katie said.

**

* * *

**

Tessa sidled up to Luke at the salad bar. "Trevor looks really annoyed with us," she said.

"Do you want me to put him out of his misery?" Luke asked.

"You're not going to shoot him are you?" Tessa replied.

"Nah, I have a better idea," Luke grinned deviously.

Tessa raised a suspicious eyebrow. "You're not going to do anything I'm going to regret are you?"

"Would I do that?" Luke asked, feigning innocence. Tessa opened her mouth to respond affirmatively, but Luke cut her off. "Never mind. Don't answer that. You have nothing to worry about. Just relax."

"Relax?" Tessa squeaked. "Why does that worry me?"

"Just watch the master at work," Luke teased, picking up his salad and getting in the checkout line. Tessa followed, and they paid for their dinners, picked up utensils and wandered into the main dining area. Tessa spotted Trevor at a table in the corner where he had saved them seats.

Luke and Tessa made their way over, depositing their trays then disencumbering themselves of bookbag and pocketbook, and winter gear.

"Luke, I still can't believe you eat that crap. That's disgusting," Trevor commented, making a face at Luke's bowl of tomato wedges, feta cheese chunks, and ranch dressing.

"Nobody's asking you to eat it, Trevor," Luke laughed, making a face in return.

An awkward silence ensued as the three chewed in silence.

"So, check this out, Tessa," Luke said abruptly, placing his fork on his tray with a clatter. He reached into his bag and pulled out his laptop. Tessa watched him warily out of the corner of her eye, pretending to be engrossed with her salad. Trevor watched their odd behavior with hesitant curiosity.

"The email from my friend Katie came," said Luke, smiling. Tessa stopped staring at her salad and looked up. She was starting to get an inkling of Luke's plan. "Check it out – I managed to replace my desktop wallpaper, all by myself," he concluded proudly.

"Really, now?" Tessa asked, now playing along. "_You?_"

"Yeah, me, believe it or not," Luke replied. "See, look." His laptop had finished its startup sequence and he slowly turned it around, making sure to spin it so that Trevor got a glance en route.

"Oh my god, Luke, no wonder you like this photo," Tessa beamed. "You guys look so happy...and you're right, your man is _totally_ hot."

"Hey, stop drooling. He's taken," Luke joked.

Trevor shifted his eyes to look at one and then the other, and then at the back of the laptop facing Tessa, not daring to turn his head to look either of them in the eye. Slowly, his brain started making sense of the exchange taking place in front of him.

He turned to Luke, "You...you're...?"

Luke smiled comfortably, "You've heard of don't ask don't tell, haven't you?"

**

* * *

**

The WOAK Art Department was able to make quick work of Reid's photo, so 90 minutes later, he was back in the car on his way back to Memorial, a shiny, new, paper-wrapped framed picture safely buckled into the passenger seat of his car.

He stopped at a Wendy's drive-through on the way, grabbing a quick bite so he wouldn't have to stop again later. Having swapped shifts and moved appointments to escape earlier, Reid had several hours of rounds to see. And between that morning's unexpected surgery, and Sunday at Tom and Margo's Reid had not had nearly as much time as he would have liked to prepare for the next morning's surgery. As he entered his office, he quickly checked his cell phone for messages and, finding none, tossed it into his desk drawer and got to work. By the time he felt comfortably prepared for the next morning's surgery, it was nearly 10pm.

He had resisted the urge to unwrap his new acquisition to bring up to his office, so it sat, in the car, patiently awaiting his return. He drove on autopilot along the familiar road home, only occasionally glancing at his silent companion, but each glance brought on a fresh wave comforting feelings to assuage his morning's panic.

Upon arriving home, Reid unceremoniously dropped his briefcase at the door and made his way to the couch where her made quick work of the picture's protective brown paper wrapping. He sat back and smiled admiringly at the photo then looked around to find it a home. Not finding an obvious space on the wall, he made his way into the dark bedroom and gingerly set it standing next to his bedside lamp, before depositing the contents of his pockets alongside.

Although he hadn't heard the message indicator beep its insistent reminders all day, he reflexively pressed the menu button on his cell phone before tossing it aside and was surprised to find four text messages waiting for him.

_5:12pm: Hey, just finished going thru a zillion emails and was going to grab dinner. R U done with rounds yet? – L._

_7:34pm: Just got back to my room. Will be up for awhile. Call me when you get this msg. Love, L._

_9:48pm: I'm gone for 2 wks & u hv a social life? LOL  
_

_10:12pm: You have 1 new voicemail(s).  
_

Reid looked at his phone in surprise and realized that not only had he turned his phone to silent rather than vibrate while at the studios, he had never turned the ringer back on. After 10 years of routine, he always kept his beeper on vibrate at his side, with the hospital answering services as his backup. Before arriving in Oakdale, his phone was mainly a convenient tool for ordering takeout before leaving the office. He didn't expect calls from friends or family, and his work colleagues all knew to rely on the beeper and service. In fact, as he thought about it, he could only remember one time when he had only once previously felt anticipation about a call on his cell phone – after his hearing in Dallas. With Luke.

Prior to that warm April afternoon, Reid wasn't accustomed to feeling emotions of any sort, never mind acting on them. But on that particular day, his emotions were fighting a battle royale that consumed his entire body and soul - anxiety about the board decision, dread that Luke was just playing nice to ensure Noah's speedy recovery, and a decreasing ability to fight his attraction to all things Luke Snyder. The fact that the board had decided they needed additional deliberation time and would "call him with their decision" did nothing to improve his mood.

The previous evening, when Luke plunked himself down beside him on the bed in his hotel room, prompting him to talk about Annie Judd, he had forced himself to think about Annie's face after she passed away. He had tried thinking of less gruesome thoughts, but each of those had been pushed aside by Luke's proximity and the bed's dominating presence in the room.

And so Reid had forced himself to focus on his case. Since Luke was unavailable, his career was all he had in his life. But then Luke had asked him why he insisted on calling him "Mr. Snyder." He couldn't very well answer with the truth – that when he heard his own voice saying "Luke" in his head, it was typically in the midst of some completely inappropriate and highly erotic fantasy. That calling him Luke would force him to admit that he didn't want to keep him a distant arm's length away. That in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. So he focused instead on his case. And left – as quickly as he could, to return to his dreary Dallas condo.

He had never thought much about his condo. It was clean, cool, but not refrigerator-cold as many Dallas complexes were. A place to leave his clothes and to do his reading. But when he let himself in that evening, it felt unusually empty. It smelled stale from the lack of fresh air – hermetically sealed like most Dallas high-rises, air-conditioned 10 months of the year. As uninspired as Luke's hotel had been, it had one key advantage that made it someplace he longed to return – Luke.

As he lay alone in his bed in his empty condo, hearing Luke's name in his head, he chastised himself for having feelings for someone who clearly wanted nothing more than for him to perform his surgical miracle and then disappear. Luke's words echoed in his head, unwelcome and mocking.

_I know the new rules and I will obey them, but that doesn't mean I don't hate you for keeping me from Noah when we need each other most._

_I didn't go and speak to Mr. Judd for you...I did it for Noah._

_You don't get it. Noah IS my life. He's the love of my life. And if you think I'm gonna forget about him? Well, I'm not. It's called being in love, Dr. Oliver. You should try it._

After a long night of reminding himself that the only reason Luke was there was to help Noah, he awoke in his still-empty condo and wondered how he ever called it home. Though he initially couldn't stand coming home to find Katie and Jacob occupying the couch in front of the TV, toys, diaper bag, and changing mat strewn across the floor, he had grown to consider it home. He loved the colorful blankets and cheerful squeals they both made and he had come to appreciate the flowers, photos, pictures, and decorative accessories Katie had spread throughout their home.

Reid's condo still contained only the pre-supplied furnishings, in generically neutral but unmatched shades of black, gray, and brown. Before showering, he grabbed a spare duffle bag and filled it with additional clothes and a few key medical texts. Grateful there was still enough coffee to make a pot, he sat at the table, eating a breakfast of chips and peanuts taken from Luke's mini-bar while he sorted through the stack of junk mail and bills that had arrived in his absence.

Noting the time, he found a couple of Styrofoam cups at the back of the kitchen cupboard and filled them with coffee before grabbing a cab back to the hotel, still reminding himself that the only reason he was going to Luke Snyder's hotel room was to pick him up en route the medical review panel hearing.

But when Luke opened the door wearing nothing but a towel, Reid momentarily forgot his name, never mind why he was there. It took every ounce of the same discipline that got him through college in three years for him to force himself to look away. _Focus, Reid, focus. On the case. On Annie Judd. On Annie Judd's corpse._

Reid was thankful that it really did only take Luke 2-3 minutes to get changed, as it limited the amount of time his mind could wander unfettered. The two minutes started particularly inauspiciously as Reid's heart nearly stopped when he caught what he thought was a glance of Luke's naked backside as he dropped his towel slightly prematurely on his way into the bathroom. As it was, two minutes was barely enough time for Reid to make his way across the room to the chair in the corner where he quickly placed a copy of the hotel tourist guide in his lap to mask his...interest.

Luke emerged from the bathroom in dress trousers, his hair still damp and unkempt from his shower. He had slipped his arms into his button-up shirt, but was still working on turning the collar right-side out as he once again declared that they needed to review Reid's testimony. Reid rolled his eyes dramatically and turned his head to the tourist guide, trying to appear absorbed in the Dallas sites he had so studiously avoided for five years, willing himself to ignore the vexing expanse of chest still visible under Luke's shirt.

As Luke drilled him with questions, Reid mostly kept his eyes down as he droned his responses, but couldn't resist occasionally lifting his eyes, wary that it could be a long time, possibly forever, before he saw that tantalizing flesh again. His eyes returned to the page only to flicker up to watch Luke's fingers deftly doing up the buttons. A vision briefly flashed through his head of himself, swiftly crossing the room and placing his hands on Luke's to reverse their progress.

Luke glanced up and looked quizzically at Reid who had stopped mid-sentence. Reid quickly returned his gaze to the pages which had blurred in front of his face and concluded his response on autopilot, tossing the guide onto the table beside him.

"Dr. Oliver," Luke paused to tie his tie. In the fifteen-odd hours or so since they'd left Oakdale, that somewhat sing-songy, somewhat petulant, somewhat scolding tone in Luke's voice had already become familiar. Reid wondered if it would become annoying with time, and what it would sound like saying "Reid" instead. He could almost hear it in his head – daring to hope it would come out in the lower octave Luke sometimes used, where his voice picked up the gravelly undertone that Reid found unbearably sexy.

You're losing focus," Luke was gently admonishing him. "You're reverting to clinical mode." And once again, Luke patiently walked through the key talking points he had to cover in his testimony.

Reid was reminded about how relentless Luke was when he was focused. And he was grateful. He hadn't been coached in anything since his hockey-playing years, and then arguably his coaches' tactics could better be described as berating rather than coaching.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Luke had asked, adding obviously, "You can't be the head of the new wing of the hospital if you don't have a medical license."

"I'm not afraid of those dinosaurs," Reid had responded, drawing on his spare confidence and arrogance reserves. "They're not gonna take away my license." But somehow, heading his dream wing had been pushed to the back of his mind. Closer to the forefront was the realization that without his license, he wouldn't be able to practice medicine at all. He would lose his lifelong anchor – and along with it, his only excuse to cross paths with Luke Snyder.

Reid was glad Luke broke the tension by reminding him to repeat his "mantra." Reid knew he rubbed people the wrong way, and as much as he wanted to tell the board to go stuff it, in this case he had to accept that Luke was right – this was not the time to put them in their place . And though coddling the review board and refraining from insults was probably good advice, Reid was still skeptical that the panel of ossified paper-pushing list-checkers who called themselves physicians would be interested in an emotion-filled song and dance. The facts were self-evident, so the concept of expressing regret had never even crossed his mind until Luke had raised the possibility. But thanks to Luke's persistent badgering, Reid did indeed feel better prepared and more confident that they had anticipated all foreseeable scenarios.

Reid liked the security and simplicity of being independent**. **Well, maybe he didn't actually like it, but it was familiar and comfortable. He hated feeling like he "owed" anyone anything, so on the rare occasion when help was offered, he usually rejected it. But when Bob had told him he was suspended, and Luke had hustled him off into the on-call room, words began tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them. _Mr. Snyder, I need you._

He didn't actually expect Luke to give a fig, much less intervene on his behalf, but thinking of how he would pass the next three hours, never mind the next three days, weeks, months, or years without his job, Reid didn't care if he sounded desperate. For the first time he could remember, he needed help, and he didn't know where else to turn. And when Luke not only didn't tell him to take a hike, but came back with a full dossier on the board to go along with the emergency hearing and the corporate jet, not to mention the offer to accompany him to Dallas, Reid found himself utterly and completely speechless. When Luke had prompted him to say thank you, he had reflexively parroted back "thank you" though his brain was still busy trying to make heads and tails from what Luke had just told him.

But that next morning, as they packed up their things to go to the hearing, Reid had felt an unfamiliar and unprompted urge to reiterate his thanks. Sincerely.

Luke's reply, "I do care," had caught him completely off-guard. Even more unfamiliar than the urge to say thanks were the subsequent ripples of elation that suddenly coursed through his veins. It took a concerted effort to keep himself from smiling, though the corners of his mouth impertinently turned upwards against his will.

When Luke soon afterwards told Noah that being in Dallas with him was "not as bad" as he thought, Reid allowed himself to feel a brief moment of something. Something that felt like...hope?

So later that day, when they returned from the bar to Luke's room in order to place that fate-filled call, Luke had voiced his encouragement, placing a hand on Reid's back in the process. Reid could feel the warm imprint left by Luke's hand fading as he placed the call, and only barely heard Dr. Vasko's assistant telling him he'd been reinstated, so powerful was the urge to re-initiate any form of physical contact with Luke.

Reid had never been one to run away from things that scared him, but Luke brought out feelings he had never previously experienced. Scared didn't quite capture the feeling. Terrified, perhaps. Petrified? Or maybe even mortified. A non-negligible part of him shouted, "You've got your job back. Get out of there. Now!"

But he was painfully aware that in a few minutes they would be on a plane back to Oakdale where Luke would once again be pulled in by the gravitational pull that Noah Mayer seemed to exert over him. Reid felt like he had that time when he was 10 and had been dared to dive off the high dive at the city pool on the last day of summer, the eyes of several expectant and annoying peers watching his every move. So in that moment, as Luke nervously waited for Reid to relay the board's verdict, Reid made his decision. And much as he'd done on that diving board years ago, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and went for it.

Much to his surprise, Luke hadn't pushed him away. Even after he'd broken the kiss, Luke didn't protest, and in fact, stood nearly frozen in place as he listened to Reid's stream of consciousness ravings.

Luke's face read "stunned," but thankfully, not "disgusted" or "furious." He wished Luke would say something. Reid found himself mesmerized by Luke's mouth as it stammered about being okay, not being embarrassed, and being weird. After Reid then continued on the chosen path by confessing that he'd wanted to kiss Luke for a long time – and proceeded to call him "Luke" – Luke's mouth had dropped even further open until he remembered to shut it.

Reid tried to be patient, but he really was not a patient man. He wanted more than anything for Luke to say something, do something. Even for him to remind him that he was there for Noah, as at least he'd know where he stood, then. Of course, Reid didn't know the story about Brian's kiss at the time; if he had known perhaps he would have chosen a different approach. Or recognized how much Luke's lack of visible reaction actually spoke volumes. But as much as he feared that Luke would dance around the issue for months, Reid cautioned himself to take it slowly, for fear of forcing Luke's hand with ill effect.

So when Luke shook his head clear and muttered something about needing to catch a cab to keep the pilot from having to wait, Reid took the hint and dutifully followed along. And while Luke apparently slept peacefully on the plane home, Reid shuffled files in his lap and pretended to review them. Really, though, he repeatedly replayed the kiss in his head, fearing it might be the only time he would ever taste the warm, wet softness of Luke's lips. Reid was surprised to find that thought left him feeling materially empty.

Midway through the long and mostly silent trip, Reid had convinced himself to be considerate – something that did not come naturally – and not to pressure Luke. But even with that decision made, Reid couldn't stop himself from spending the rest of the trip trying to come up with a suitable excuse to get Luke to come to the house (to say hi to Katie and Jacob) and then to stay once there (pizza, beer, and the game).

When they arrived to find Katie and Jacob absent, despite his earlier resolve, Reid found he couldn't let Luke leave without at least a little prodding to see if his attraction was even remotely reciprocated. So he couched it as a thank you overture, hoping his words didn't sound as rehearsed and planned as they actually were. After the few seconds which then elapsed (though to Reid it felt like an eternity), as Luke contemplated Reid's offer not to repeat the kiss unless it was welcomed, Reid anxiously awaited the moment of truth. When Luke finally answered by removing his jacket to stay, Reid was no longer able to hold back the tidal wave of glee that was threatening to engulf him.

And as the evening went on, and Luke had stayed, despite the seemingly incessant stream of inconvenient interruptions that seemed to conspire against any hopes of a romantic interlude. Reid took it as a good sign, and gave himself permission to think that yeah, maybe there was hope after all.

* * *

Reid stared at the messages on his cell phone and then at the new photo on his nightstand, and then pushed the speed dial for voicemail, putting the phone to his ear.

_You have one new message. First new message, received, today at 10:12 pm._

He smiled when he heard Luke's voice on the other end of the line. "Hey, it's me. Just wanted to make sure you're okay. It's not like you not to answer your phone. It feels kind of weird not hearing your voice. I'm completely exhausted, so I'm going to bed now. At any rate, just wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you. Call me tomorrow if you get a chance? I love you."

Reid was about to hit delete, but then decided to save the message instead. He liked the idea of having fingertip access to Luke's voice saying, "I love you." Reid smiled to himself. _Luke loves me_. It occurred to Reid that he'd never given voice to that thought before.

"It's not easy," Luke had once reminded him. And in retrospect, Reid had to agree. He'd given Luke more than enough reasons not to love him, starting with his "I don't like you Mr. Snyder!" declaration. He'd asked Luke to put their relationship on hold until it was "politically acceptable" and reverted to form, hiding in his work and finding the first excuse to get out of Dodge when he thought Luke had reunited with Noah. Reid could still remember the hurt evident in Luke's voice when he spat out, "I hope your brand new state-of-the-art surgical wing can keep you warm at night." But his pride wouldn't let him admit that he cared, that he'd impulsively quit his job to give their relationship a chance. And if it weren't for Luke's stubborn persistence, he might very well have let his pride lead him to a new lonely existence in Minnesota, to a life as empty as it had been in Dallas...but colder.

"Who woulda thunk it?" he thought. That the same guy who'd told Luke to choke on that "big fat silver spoon" would actually find love with Richie Rich himself.

Reid paused thoughtfully then got up to return to the living room. Placing his briefcase on the couch next to him, he briefly tapped out a few lines on his laptop before shutting it again and retrieving his piece of blue glass. Carefully, he placed the glass on the night table, its bed of tissue showing unquestionable signs of wear and tear.

Reid crawled under the covers, too tired to change out of his clothes, and stared at the picture. "We've both come a long way, haven't we?" Reid said to Luke's half of the picture. "But I guess I still need to work on not over-reacting, eh?"

Looking from his phone to the glass, he repeated to himself one more time, "Luke Snyder loves me." Then he curled up under the cover, smiling, and quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.

**

* * *

**

_**A/N: **__I know "don't ask/don't tell" is a sensitive issue these days, so I didn't mean to treat it lightly. However, as the story is set in January 2011, and I think it would be in-character for Luke to joke about it in such a way, I thought it would be okay. Hope I didn't offend anyone. _

_More extensive notes can be found on my blog.  
_


	27. Where Does it Hurt?

**Chapter 27: ****Where Does it Hurt?**

Tuesday morning, things returned to some semblance of normalcy. Reid awoke bright and early, having had a peaceful night's sleep. Though he felt better rested, things still didn't feel quite right. He opened his eyes to find Luke's side of the bed still empty, then the events of the previous 48 hours came tumbling back into mind, starting with the disastrous NFL Sunday at Tom and Margo's, then Noah's message, that girl answering Luke's phone, and Hendrickson's damned spinal disc herniation. Plus he hadn't spoken to Luke for over two days. Reid rolled over to squint at his alarm clock and glanced upon Luke smiling down at him from the new photo. Reid sat up in bed and lifted the picture off the nightstand, holding it in his lap, admiring the sparkle in Luke's eyes and the ease with which he was smiling. Luke looked happy and in love; they both did. _Luke loves me_, he reminded himself, as he set the picture down and began his morning routine.

After an uneventful breakfast of Cocoa Puffs and a sesame bagel, he filled a travel mug with coffee made his way to the hospital. His scrub nurse filled him in on the patient's vitals and they exchanged notes on the day's procedure. Reid was relieved to be back in familiar territory, cutting through the hard bone of a skull with the precise laser precision needed to avoid life-scarring damage. Reid felt the familiar adrenalin high of knowing the patient's life was in his skillful hands and confidently set to work.

* * *

Luke's morning was similarly uneventful as he packed his bag to head to class. He caught up with Tessa where the paths from their cottages met, and they flagged down Trevor and Melissa a little further along. As they chatted about the previous evening's assignment, Luke realized he'd left his phone on his night stand, having left his message for Reid just before dropping off to sleep.

"You guys go ahead," Luke told the others. "I'll catch up."

He sprinted back to his cottage to retrieve his phone, tucked it in his bag, and turned around. The others had already entered the conference center by the time Luke, red-faced and panting, caught up with them.

"Man, Luke," Trevor noted, "You don't sound so good. This place is making you soft."

"Thanks...a...lot," Luke managed, gasping for breath.

Tessa silently handed him the bottle of water from her backpack, and Luke gratefully took a swig as they made their way up the escalator. As they boisterously took to their seats Tessa motioned for him to keep the bottle and the class settled in for a relatively light-hearted discussion of the morning's topics.

**

* * *

**

Four hours later found Luke back in his cottage, lying face down on the bed, daydreaming, with one arm splayed above his head and the other dangling off the bed's edge.

"Ahhhh…," Luke let out a long, happy breath. It was early September, and he was lying on his stomach on the side of Reid's bed that he'd claimed as his own. Both arms were loosely crossed above his head, and his forehead rested in between. Reid sat, his legs straddling Luke's hips.

"My god, Dr. Oliver, you are going to kill me one of these days." Luke smiled blissfully.

"I'm workin' on it," Reid smiled back at the top of Luke's head.

"You really do have amazing hands," Luke said, turning his head to the side, revealing a big, goofy, but contented grin.

"I should, with all this practice," Reid replied. "I mean, by now you –"

"Oh – oh!" Luke interjected excitedly. "That! Do that again."

"What?"

"That," Luke insisted. "What you just did. Do that again! Please?"

"This?" Reid asked incredulously, repeating his last movements.

"No, before _that_," Luke clarified.

"_This_?" Reid asked, still not quite convinced.

"Ahhh…." Luke sighed again. "Yes, _that_. Thank you."

"You're getting spoiled," Reid smiled again, continuing with the task at hand.

Luke turned and lifted his head to smile at Reid. Then he turned just a bit too far.

"Oh, ow!" Luke winced.

"Lie down, you wimp," Reid chided him.

"No, seriously," Luke protested. "I'm in pain."

"It's your own fault for being such a lousy tennis player," Reid retorted, continuing to knead the massive knot at Luke's waist.

"How did I not know you had such a wicked forehand slice?" Luke muttered.

"'Cause your backhand sucks," Reid laughed.

Luke made a face and twisted again to show his displeasure. "Oh, ow, shit."

"Quit being such a baby. I don't know what you're complaining about. You _always _get the better end of the deal," Reid joked.

"Aw, c'mon. You'll get your turn once I finally win a match," Luke replied confidently.

"Oh great," said Reid, rolling his eyes. "I think I'd have a better chance winning the hospital doubles tourney with Ethan as my partner….speaking of which, how's Ethan's net game?"

"Very funny," Luke retorted. "You take that back."

"Make me...gramps," Reid challenged.

"I can arrange that," Luke smiled devilishly. He rested for a moment to gather his strength, then in one fell motion, flipped himself over, unceremoniously dumping Reid on his side. Luke quickly pinned him down with a textbook lateral press. "Ow, that hurt," Luke muttered. "But it'll be worth it." Luke smiled his lopsided grin and proceeded to smother Reid's surprised look with his lips.

**

* * *

**

Twenty minutes later, they were still on the bed, but had snuggled under the covers. Luke had eventually managed to roll over on his back and was happy to let Reid take the lead that morning, as most pro-active movements resulted in spasms of pain shooting through his body.

"Ow," moaned Luke. "I don't think I can move."

Reid lay next to him, propped on one elbow. "Awwww," he said, with minimal sympathy. "Where does it hurt?"

Luke pointed to his waist and Reid obligingly gave it a gentle kiss. "And here," Luke muttered, pointing to the top of his left shoulder. Reid pushed himself back up to kiss Luke's shoulder.

"Any where else?" Reid asked.

"Here," said Luke, tapping his lips. Reid smiled.

"You know," Reid said between nibbles, "Marion kissed Indy where it _didn't_ hurt."

"Why, Dr. Oliver," Luke said in surprise. "You've seen a movie."

"Yeah, well. I was still a kid when _Raiders_ came out," Reid replied. "I couldn't avoid it." Then he added with a waggle of his eyebrows, "So, _is _there some place where it _doesn't _hurt?"

Luke's eyes smiled mischievously as Reid left his eyebrows remained elevated in anticipation. Then Luke lifted up the edge of the sheet and silently pointed underneath.

**

* * *

**

The morning's surgery was routine, so Reid managed to close up and get his post-op notes dictated in record time, and arrived at Al's 10 minutes before his usual time to meet Bob. He was mentally replaying Luke's voicemail when Bob arrived in his usual upbeat mood.

"Why Dr. Oliver, you're smiling," Bob said, beaming. "Looks like you do know how to have a good time after all."

Caught out of character, Reid quickly sat up straight, cleared his throat, and frowned. "Damned service here is so slow I could grow a beard before they bring our water." Just as he finished, a waitress brought a second menu for Bob and set two glasses of water in front of them, glaring at Reid.

"You know, Reid," Bob continued, pretending not to notice the obvious change in Reid's demeanor, "You are allowed to be happy. It won't make you a less effective doctor."

"I don't have time for happy," Reid muttered, trying to sound callous.

Bob smiled to himself and shook his head.

"So what did you do with your day off last week?" Bob asked, picking up his menu. "Don't tell me you spent it reviewing cases or researching new protocols. I know you get great satisfaction from your work, Reid, but you were supposed to go have fun."

"I know," Reid said, insulted. "And I did."

"Really?" Bob asked with a big, surprised smile. "That's great! What did you do?"

"I went skating," Reid replied. Bob almost chocked on a mouthful of coffee and had to lurch for his napkin to avoid splurting all over the table.

"Well I'll be," he smiled. "I owe Kim twenty bucks - she figured you'd do something legitimately fun just to spite the old man. You think you know someone well, and you never know when you'll learn something new and surprising. So can you do jumps and spins?"

Reid looked back in horror. "Hell, no."

"Oh, sorry," Bob said. "Hockey, then, I take it?"

Reid nodded in relief.

Bob's experienced bedside manner had no trouble eliciting the rest of the story. Before he knew it, Reid found himself explaining how he found himself circling the Oakdale rec center rink, and divulging his history as a young hockey player. Reid was secretly glad for the distraction as it kept him from wondering about Luke...and Noah...and Tessa, and the time passed so quickly he was disappointed when their weekly lunch came to a close and it was time for him to return to his rounds - and his own private thoughts and fears.

"I'd better get back," Reid said awkwardly. "I have rounds."

"Of course," Bob said, smiling. "Nothing us retired dinosaurs have to worry about."

"Bob," Reid started, "I didn't mean -"

"Don't worry about it, Reid," Bob said.

"Yeah, okay," Reid mumbled, putting on his coat and turning to leave.

"Um, Dr. Oliver," Bob said. Reid turned back to face him. "You know, you don't need permission to take another day off. Remember that."

"I'll take that under advisement, Dr. Oprah," Reid replied, turning again to head out the door. He stopped at the front door and turned back to say, "See you next week" before walking out the door.

* * *

Luke was still lying on the bed of his cottage an hour later, once again too sore to move. It took him nearly 10 minutes into class that morning before his heart rate finally returned to normal and he felt recovered.

Luke reluctantly had to admit it: Trevor was right. This retreat was making him soft. Late nights spent with his laptop coupled with long hours sharing coffees and conversation at the student center had done nothing to help him work off Emma's Christmas dinner.

So after class, Luke had begged out of lunch and dragged himself to the university fitness center, where he discovered that he was in even worse shape than he'd thought. Though he pushed his body to complete the reps he'd done during his last workout (which he seemed to recall pre-dated Emma's Thanksgiving dinner as well), he didn't realize how much he was taxing his current abilities until he returned back to his cottage, sat down on the bed and found himself stiffly frozen in place.

Still in his torn-sleeved muscle shirt and baggie sweats, he gave up on the idea of being productive and instead tipped over onto the bed face-down, haphazardly kicking his sneakers off and then snake-wiggling his way up to the pillow. His daydreaming nicely kept his mind off the lactic acid building up in every major muscle group in his body, until he fell asleep, still feeling the residual effects of his all-nighter with Tessa.

**

* * *

**

Another hour later, he was awakened by a knock at the door.

"Hey, Luke," called Tessa, "Are you in there?"

Luke was disoriented. He could see shadows outlined by the streetlamps outside, trying to peer in the windows. Darkness had started to fall and the dim light briefly made him wonder if he'd slept through the night. "Mmph," he muttered. "What?"

"Luke?" he heard Trevor call, "If you're in there, we're all going out to dinner and a movie. Want to join us?"

Luke rolled over on his side and moved his arms to rub his eyes. "Ow, ow, ow," he groaned, lying back down, as a fresh wave of soreness hit his arms, reminding him of his predicament.

"Hang on," Luke finally managed to reply. "I'll be there in a minute."

Luke braced himself and gingerly pushed himself up to sitting, rolled off the bed, and then limped over to the door to let them in.

"Sheesh, Luke," Trevor observed. "You look terrible. You look like you were hit by a truck. What happened to you?"

"Nothing," Luke mumbled. "Just fell asleep."

"Well then hurry up and get your butt in gear," Tessa prodded, physically turning him around and pointing him towards his closet.

"Ow, ow!" Luke said, unable to mask his discomfort.

"Oh my god, Luke, I'm sorry!" Tessa exclaimed, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Luke said sheepishly. He glanced at his workout clothes and the others followed his gaze. "I, um, kind of over-did it at the gym."

"You're such a dork, Luke," Tessa kidded. "Would you just get dressed so we can get going." Then taking a breath she added, "Well, on second thought – maybe you should grab a shower and _then_ get dressed?"

"Thanks _a lot,_" Luke replied, sarcastically. He hesitated momentarily before replying - he had been hoping to stay in that evening for a call home. It felt like ages since he and Reid had connected.

"What're you seeing?" he asked.

"_Star Power,"_ said Trevor, rolling his eyes.

Luke's eyes widened with interest. "The new one with Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant?"

"_And _Julia Roberts and Richard Gere," Tessa added, smiling.

_Oh shit,_ Luke thought. That made the decision harder. If he didn't go see this tonight, he'd have to wait until it came out on DVD. Not only that, he'd have to wait for a night when Reid was working late to watch it at home, alone...or with his mom, since Maddie and Ali had both abandoned Oakdale.

"Aw, c'mon," Tessa goaded. "You know you want to."

"Damn," Luke replied finally. "I can't turn down Sandra Bullock _and_ Julia Roberts. Give me 10 minutes."

Luke waddled into the bathroom and was annoyed to find that washing his hair had become a chore. He finally settled for letting the warm water run over him for five minutes and soaping up only the areas he could reach with minimal pain.

When he emerged from the shower, he stood on the bathmat, a towel wrapped around his waist, realizing that he had yet again forgotten to bring clean clothes into the bathroom with him. Remembering their conversation the previous morning, and very aware of Trevor's presence in his room, Luke called out, "Um, guys?"

"Yeah," Trevor replied.

"Could one of you hand me some clothes?" Luke asked.

"I got it," Tessa replied. Trevor eyed her somewhat suspiciously as she easily fished out the appropriate garments from Luke's drawers and closet without any searching or rummaging and placed them in the outstretched hand that stuck out through the mostly closed bathroom doorway.

"Hurry up, will ya?" Trevor called out. "I'm starving!"

Luke emerged a few minutes later, grateful that Tessa had chosen a short-sleeved polo and khakis rather than a long-sleeved button-up or (god forbid) his form-fitting jeans – even with another 20 minutes he wasn't sure he would have managed to get into them and gotten the buttons done that evening.

He grabbed his phone on the way out and hobbled after his friends to the bus stop where the others waited for them.

"What took you so long?" Melissa asked.

"Old limp-along here was a little gimpy," Trevor replied, pointing a thumb in Luke's direction.

Luke was too sore to respond, so he settled for sticking his tongue out at him as the university shuttle pulled up to the bus stop and the group clambered on. Once aboard, Luke pulled out his phone en route, paused briefly to admire his new background picture and then wrote a quick text.

_Just got an invite to see the new J-Ro/Sandra Bullock rom-com. Won't be back 'til late. Sorry – hv missed hearing ur voice. Luv u, Luke._

**

* * *

**

Reid was just finishing his rounds, looking forward to catching up with Luke when the text message arrived. Reid eagerly pulled out his phone and read the message with more than a smidgen of disappointment.

He had been resenting that evening's planned meetings on the new wing's progress, but now resigned himself to them as a welcome distraction.

Before pulling out his files to review that evening's agenda, he sent a quick text back. _Better you than me. Have fun. – Reid x_

**

* * *

**

_**A/N: **__One of the most interesting things for me about the Luke and Noah pond scene after Reid's death was the selection of activities Luke regretted missing. If you've read this far, you'll have seen swimming at Snyder Pond and movie night already; I literally wrote this tennis scene the very morning __**before**__ the pond scene aired, (and I had previously written a bowling scene which will not make its appearance for another dozen chapters or so). So needless to say, I was really chuffed by the selection of activities that the writers chose for Luke to lament._

_And though __farmers' markets hadn't made my list of Luke and Reid activities, I had to smile because I was a founding board member of the farmers' market in my old home town, so I have a HUGE personal soft-spot for farmers' markets. Now I just have to find a way to work it into the story.…_


	28. Shreve, Crump & Low

**Chapter 28: Shreve, Crump and Low **

At the end of Wednesday's morning session, Alex stopped Luke as he dismissed the class, asking him to stay behind. Even though he knew this was a non-credit course, Luke momentarily felt a pang of dread. As his classmates packed up their belongings, Luke replayed the last two sessions in his head, trying to remember if he'd once again been guilty of gazing at his phone too often during class. He didn't think so, but then again, over the last day or two he had more than once found himself staring at his phone background without realizing he'd even taken it out of his pocket or bag.

"Want us to wait?" Tessa asked.

"Nah," Luke replied, hoping to sound unconcerned. "I'll catch up with your guys later."

As the number of people dwindled, Luke neatly stacked and then re-stacked his papers, looking for something to keep him occupied as he waited for the last few to leave.

Finally Bradley was the only one remaining having packed his own things in slow motion to see if he could learn why Luke had been singled out to stay behind.

"So, Luke," Alex began. "You're probably wondering why I asked you to stay."

Luke shrugged noncommittally.

Alex turned around and removed a medium-sized corrugated mailing box from the credenza behind his side of the table. He nudged the box across the table towards Luke. "This arrived for you at the workshop offices this morning."

"For me?" Luke asked in surprise. "What is it?"

"You don't know?" Alex asked, equally surprised. "I assumed it was something that you'd ordered."

Bradley, who had been watching the exchange closely from the far side of the table chose that moment to interject. "Hey, Snyder," Bradley called out. "Who's getting married?"

"Married?" Luke laughed, "What the hell have _you_ been smoking?"

"Well," Bradley continued in a patronizing voice. "_Somebody's_ getting married." Noting the blank looks on both Luke and Alex's faces, he continued. "You know? Shreve Crump & Low? Oldest jeweler in North America? Jeweler to the Kennedys? Maker of John Henry's engagement ring?"

Luke reached across the table to retrieve the box from where it had come to a rest several inches in front of him. He looked down at the box and indeed saw the neat, navy serifed letters that read: "Shreve Crump & Low, Jewelers. Boston, MA. Est. 1722." He recognized neither the name on the box, nor the reference to John Henry.

When Luke and Alex continued to stare at him, Bradley added. "You don't know John Henry?"

"Didn't he die with a hammer in his hand?" Luke asked, starting to get annoyed.

"Not _that _John Henry," said Bradley. "John Henry, the _billionaire_."

More blank stares.

"Owner of the Boston Red Sox?" Bradley asked in exasperation.

At the mention of Red Sox, Luke had a faint glimmer of insight as to the box's origins, though he still couldn't imagine the contents. Luke could feel a few disquieting butterflies beginning to flutter coquettishly in his stomach.

"So who's the lucky girl, Snyder?" asked Bradley.

"There's no lucky girl; you're way off base," Luke said, feigning a casual disinterest he unquestionably did not feel. "Thanks, Alex," he said. "See you tomorrow." He put on his jacket and sized up the box, determining it was far too big to fit in his messenger bag. He resigned himself to awkwardly tucking it under his arm and walked out, ignoring Bradley's nosey stare.

As he rode the escalator back down to the lobby, Bradley's voice echoed in his head. _Who's getting married?_

Granted he and Reid had gotten pretty serious, but married? Not likely. At least...Luke didn't think so. The more he thought about it, the more overwhelmed he was by a wave of conflicting emotions: excitement, nervousness, love, panic. They hadn't talked at all for two days, and the last time they spoke was Saturday night when Reid had just been out with Katie...wedding ring shopping. Luke blanched.

The butterflies had upped their intensity, and were now doing a full-fledged rendition of _Riverdance_ in Luke's stomach.

**

* * *

**

At the bottom of the escalator Luke found Tessa and Trevor chatting in the lobby chairs, waiting for him, despite his earlier words telling them to go ahead without him.

"Hey, what kept ya?" Tessa asked.

"Alex had a package for me," Luke replied, twisting a bit to show the box under his arm. He scuffed his feet and looked down at the ground, doing his best to look nonchalant.

"A package?" asked Trevor. "Like, an Amazon order or something?"

Though he didn't really feel like going into the details, Luke reflexively shook his head in response.

"Then why did Alex have it?" Tessa asked.

"I guess it was sent care of the office," said Luke.

"Why would someone send a package to you care of the office?" Trevor asked.

_Because it was sufficiently valuable it would require a signature_ came to mind. Luke shrugged.

"Do you know what it is?" Trevor asked.

"No idea," Luke replied. "I haven't opened it yet."

"Do you know who it's from?" Trevor continued.

"I have a guess," Luke said, shrugging his shoulders.

"_Reid_?" asked Tessa, jumping to the obvious.

Luke tried his best to nod without interest, but a nervous grin inadvertently escaped.

"So, let's have it." Trevor asked.

Bradley's voice again reverberated in Luke's head, and he was pretty sure he did not want to open it with an audience present, regardless of the contents. Luke shook his head, perhaps a bit too vigorously. Tessa and Trevor glanced at each other and shrugged. They watched curiously as Bradley came down the escalator, staring at Luke's back the entire time, before making his way out the revolving door.

"I'm waiting until I get back to my room so I don't have to juggle all this packaging - it's probably filled with those stupid styrofoam peanuts." Luke said. "I'll be picking them up until Friday if I open it here."

"Okay, I can take a hint," Trevor teased. "But just remember: if it's a time bomb, you're missing your chance to go out in a blaze of glory with the two best writing buddies ever….just so you can die a _lonely miserable_ death." He put particular emphasis on the words "lonely" and "miserable" and punctuated "death" with a melodramatic hand to his head.

Luke smiled in spite of himself and Tessa giggled. "Come join us later?"

Luke wasn't sure how to reply, having no idea how he would respond to whatever was in the box. "I dunno. I have to check in at work first. Maybe, if I'm not swamped with emails. I'll text you if I'm free."

"Okay," Tessa conceded. "Tell us when you're ready. Catch ya' later." Then she motioned with her head for Trevor to follow and made her way out the front door, leaving Luke alone in the lobby staring at the box under his arm.

**

* * *

**

Luke tried to pace himself walking back to his dorm, occasionally breaking into a jog and then cautioning himself to slow down. _Who's getting married? _he thought. The subject hadn't come up since Carly and Jack's wedding in September, and Luke and Reid weren't exactly singing from the same choir book that day.

Luke had arrived early at Katie's place so they could go together.

"Hey, you're early," Reid said in surprise.

"And it's very nice to see you, too, Doc," Luke joked, giving him a quick peck on the lips and making his way in without waiting for a reply.

"Reid," called Katie from her room, "Is that Luke?"

"Yup," Reid called back.

"Wow," she added, "He's early." Luke beamed; Reid scowled.

"He's _barely_ early," Reid replied, "And _you're_ about to be late."

Luke scowled back at Reid before plopping down on the couch, grabbing Reid's wrist and deftly pulling him onto his lap.

"Dammit!" Katie muttered, hopping out of the bedroom while trying to put on her second shoe. "Jacob managed to bend one of my favorite earrings."

Reid attempted to clamber his way out of Luke's lap, but Luke held on tight. Though he knew both Luke and Katie were perfectly comfortable with the domestic scene, Reid still felt ridiculous in such compromising situations.

Luke waved cheerfully, paying no attention to the disgruntled neurosurgeon trying wiggle out of his lap, saying, "Hi, Katie."

"Hey, Luke," Katie replied, looking up, finally having won the battle with her second shoe. "You're looking mighty handsome."

"Why thank you," Luke beamed. "You're looking pretty hot yourself."

"I hope Chris thinks so," she said.

"He'd be an idiot not to," Reid interjected.

Both Luke and Katie stopped smiling at each other and turned to look at Reid in surprise.

"Why Reid," said Katie. "I think that's just about the nicest thing you've ever said to me...except that you didn't really even say it to me."

"Don't let it go to your head," Reid cautioned.

Luke chuckled, remembering he'd once heard those same words himself.

"So you _do_ have an appreciation for beauty, Dr. Oliver,"

"I fell for you, didn't I?" Reid's reflexive response caught all three of them off guard – though Luke and Katie had individually seen the chinks in his armor, he rarely let down his guard with both of them present.

"I gotta run get Chris, guys," Katie said. "Don't get too comfy on that couch or you'll be late, too!" She grabbed her handbag off the side table and scrambled out the door.

"Remind me again why we're going to this disaster?" Reid asked.

"Aw, c'mon, Reid," said Luke, "You can't judge all weddings just based on my dad and Molly's."

"I'm not," said Reid, matter-of-factly.

"Oh yeah? When was the last time you went to a wedding before that?" Luke challenged.

"February I think it was," Reid began.

"February?" Luke asked, surprised. "You were stuck in Oakdale then."

"Good use of deductive reasoning, Mr. Snyder," Reid replied. "It was Bob's grandson's wedding. Pacey's or JC's or KC's or whatever his name is."

"You were invited to Casey and Ali's wedding?"

"Well, not quite," Reid answered.

"Not quite?" Luke asked. "You didn'tcrash the wedding, did you? The food couldn't have been _that_ good."

"Actually, I went as Katie's date."

"Katie asked you to go with her to Casey and Ali's wedding?" Luke asked, even more incredulous.

"Not exactly. She finally had the good sense to ditch Hank for being a moron, not that that was news. But then she was miserable staying home alone, so I volunteered to – "

"Hey, wait a minute," Luke interrupted, sensing injustice. "You volunteered to go to Casey and Ali's wedding with Katie, but you didn't want to come to my dad's wedding, with _me_?"

"Hey, I turned up for that wake. Too bad Holden didn't bother –" said Reid, defending himself.

"But you didn't want to!" Luke insisted, too indignant to acknowledge Reid's efforts.

"The Hughes bloodbath was business," Reid protested. "And let me tell you – it was a bloodbath in all senses of the word!"

"Besides," Reid continued, "I figured Bob might look kindly on my attempt to be 'human' and write me a get-out-of-jail-free card." Luke raised his eyebrows sceptically.

"It wasn't like I was there to support the bride and groom or anything," Reid offered, not helping his case. "Speaking of which," Reid asked, "You and Noah were so tight with Nurse Stewart and her Hughes boytoy; how is it that you _didn't _go."

Luke tensed up. "Well, in case you forgot," he replied, "Damian had just disappeared, and my dad was at the police station being interrogated."

"Oh right," Reid replied, "Forgot about that."

"And since you bring up Noah," Luke added with a hint of acid, "He had just signed a lease with Maddie, so I wasn't exactly in the mood to go to a happy lovefest with him."

"That wedding was no lovefest," Reid replied. "Unless you count the nutcase with the gun boinkin' the bride the night before the wedding. In fact, case in point, it was a _fiasco_. Paul got shot, and oh yeah, Miss Stewart's indiscretions were broadcast _loudly_ to all her loved ones, the bride and groom did _not_ drive off into the sunset. What makes you think today will be any different. Haven't Jack and blondie been married like a dozen times now?"

"Two, Reid. You're exaggerating," Luke replied. "This is their third."

"Why bother?" Reid asked, "So they can spend a ton of money to get up in front of all their friends and say, 'Really, this time I mean it?' What a crock."

"What about those people who really do mean it?" asked Luke.

"What, like your parents?" scoffed Reid.

Luke released his hold on Reid's waist and slouched back into the couch.

"I didn't mean that the way it came out," Reid quickly said.

"Yeah, you did," Luke corrected.

"Well you gotta admit," Reid said. "Your friends and family don't really have a good track record when it comes to marriages."

"Yeah, well maybe," Luke conceded, "But they're not me. I'm only gonna do it once and it's gonna stick."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, they both recognized the underlying subtext behind Luke's declaration. There was an awkward silence as both tried to figure out what to say next.

Reid winced. _Fuck. _Since things had started getting serious, he figured the day would come when this topic would come up. He'd just hoped it wouldn't be so soon. Though he'd reluctantly conceded to being in love with Luke Snyder, and had even more reluctantly grown accustomed to saying so out loud, he detested the institution of marriage – not the least because of the multi-billion dollar waste of an industry that had developed to cater to women hoping to feel like princesses for a day.

Then again, he feared, Luke probably wanted the whole enchilada – a string trio, fluffy fabrics draped over church pews, matching boutonnières, sappy Bible readings, and a wedding party featuring a cast of thousands – complete with matching Ken and Ken dolls on top of the cake.

Reid didn't need or want any arbitrary external validation to remind him of his love, or Luke's. And he certainly didn't need to spend a day in a tuxedo to publicly announce feelings that were better left spoken in private, if at all.

So as he mentally rolled his eyes, Reid studiously avoided getting up because he knew Luke would interpret it as a sign of him running away from their relationship. Yet he also didn't want to make any affectionate or comforting gesture lest he encourage any dreams of matrimonial bliss. So instead, Reid remained uncomfortably ensconced on Luke's lap, sitting unnaturally still, bracing some of his own weight with his arms on the back of the couch.

Luke, in the meantime was momentarily lost in his own thoughts. _Oh shit, _he thought. _Did I actually just say that out loud? _He and Reid had only spoken about marriage in the third person previously, as something someone else did. Luke had always assumed that someday he would indeed be married, that he would have a chance to declare his love enveloped in a large circle of family and friends, as he'd seen his parents do so many times previously. Each time they'd seemed so in love, and so full of hope and the romantic in him cherished that hopeful love he saw in their eyes each time they said their vows.

When Noah had first proposed marriage to Ameera, Luke had put on a brave face and supported Noah's heroic gesture. But when Noah and Ameera began spending more and more time discussing wedding details, vows, and living arrangements, Luke felt their marriage of convenience was distinctly starting to feel more like a "marriage," and less like a "convenience."

One afternoon, they had gathered along with Lily and Emma, in the kitchen at the Farm. While Emma and Lily broached the possibility of having a minister officiate, cautiously checking to see if it would create a religious conflict of interest for Ameera, Luke had muttered something about needing to finish a term paper and then skulked off to his room unnoticed.

Unable to focus on the causes of unrest leading to the French Revolution, Luke instead spent the next two hours searching the internet for information on gay wedding ceremonies. When he found a website selling his-and-his cake toppers (where you could customize the figures with a choice of several hair colors and poses), he bitterly comforted himself that someday it would be his turn. His silent protest fell on his own deaf ears: _why not me?_ _That's _my_ love Ameera is marrying. That's my life with Noah that she's living._

Luke winced at the memory.

"Aw, c'mon," Reid started, trying to ease the tension. "You don't really want to spend a whole day in a monkey suit just so you everyone can pat you on the back for chaining yourself to someone for life, do you?"

Although he wouldn't quite have phrased it that way, the concept didn't sound so bad to Luke.

"Reid, if you really can't stand the thought of spending forever with me, why don't you just say so now and put us both out of our misery?" Luke demanded.

"Hey, I was kidding," Reid said. "You know, trying to lighten the mood?"

"No, you weren't," Luke replied.

Reid fidgeted uncomfortably under the scrutiny of Luke's laser-like glare. Reid's elbows had started to lock in place from bearing part of his weight. He finally gave in to the discomfort and pushed himself up off of Luke's lap so he could move to the next cushion on the couch without sliding off. He awkwardly swung his legs around so he could face Luke before he spoke again.

"You know I love you, right?" Reid asked quietly.

"Yeah," Luke nodded uncertainly.

"Luke, a year ago," Reid continued, "I couldn't have imagined myself in love. With anyone. Ever. The last thing I needed was a messy entanglement."

"Now I'm a messy entanglement? Luke asked, feeling increasingly agitated.

"You're not exactly low maintenance," Reid tried to joke. When Luke's scowl increased he tried to continue. "Six months ago, I'd figured out you were something special, but you had that big ugly appendage stuck your hip. I didn't think we'd ever actually end up together."

"Ugly appendage?" asked Luke. Reid raised his eyebrows waiting for Luke to grasp his meaning. Luke frowned in realisation: "You mean Noah?

Reid shrugged, feigning innocence. Luke scowled and crossed his arms.

"Aw, c'mon, Luke, give me a break," Reid scowled back. "Are you telling me that six months ago you would have believed that Richie Rich and Dr Crabbypants would fall in love?"

Luke almost snickered in spite of himself.

"Oh, c'mon," Reid replied. "Don't try to pretend you don't know that's what the nurses call me behind my back."

Luke swallowed his amused reply.

Reid took advantage of the opening and continued. "Luke, I'm barely used to the idea of being in love. You gotta give me some time to catch up with you. You know me – I'm not good at this relationship stuff."

Luke had to admit – it had only been a month since they broke the "I love you" barrier. And it had really only been no more than a couple of months since they'd first found themselves with some alone time – time to go out on dates, hang out at home, and simply enjoy each other's company.

And though each had privately come to the conclusion that his feelings could reasonably be described as "love" it had only been under duress at Bob's party when they were finally able to lend voice to those inner thoughts.

Once again, in the living room at Katie's they found themselves contemplating their own inner thoughts.

Luke finally broke the silence. "Okay, Reid, I get it, you need time," Luke said. Then he gestured at the two of them: "I don't know where this is going either, but when things are right, they happen."

Reid looked up uncertainly. "You think we're right?"

Luke smiled back wistfully, "I think we could be. What do you think?"

Reid's eyes widened, like a deer's in headlight. "Well, um..." he stammered.

"Don't worry," Luke said calmly. "I'm not proposing. And if you come to the realization that you don't ever want to marry me, I'll live with that. If there's one thing you've taught me, it's that I shouldn't spend my life waiting for someone who doesn't want to be with me." Luke tried to smile comfortingly, but his eyes betrayed a hint of sadness.

Reid expected to feel relieved to be let off the hook. Instead, his response surprised him: he felt disappointed – more than a tinge sorry that Luke was willing to let it go so easily, without any inkling of a fight. He opened his mouth to reply but shut it again, unable to put words to his unfamiliar feelings.

Luke resigned himself to refusing to allow Reid to ruin his afternoon. Luke had always looked forward to weddings, despite the lack of permanence his parents' seemed to have. Calla lilies, unity candles, poetry readings and formal, public declarations of love. He secretly adored them all.

"We'd better get going," Luke said, "Or Katie will be all over you saying, 'I told you so.' And I _know _how much you love that!" He laughed weakly at his own sarcasm.

"Yeah, you're right," Reid muttered. "I guess so."

Reid scooped up his suit jacket off the back of the couch and without another word, got into the car and set off to the wedding.

**

* * *

**

Reid drove silently on autopilot towards State Route 133, which led past Memorial, and out into the Illinois countryside; Reid had volunteered to drive, as he was now well familiar with the route, having consulted on several cases at Bay City General.

Monte Carlo had done a photo shoot many years ago at an old manor house just off SR133 years ago – it had been rumored to be a summer retreat of Al Capone's, and so was elegantly appointed, with beautiful grounds. When Carly had heard it was available for weddings, she jumped at the opportunity.

Luke and Reid continued in silence, Reid concentrating on the road, and Luke looking out his window, each lost in his own thoughts.

"Hey, Reid," Luke called out suddenly, "Go back!"

"Go back?" Reid frowned. "You didn't forget the present, did you?"

"No – we bought our gift off the online registry. But I swear I just saw my mom's car!"

"There are probably a thousand cars like that," Reid noted. "Even in Oakdale."

"No, I'm sure it was hers," Luke insisted. "It was stopped at a truck stop back there. Turn around – what if they're in trouble?"

"Haven't they heard of cell phones or Triple A?" Reid asked.

"Aw c'mon, it'll be an extra five minutes you won't have to spend at the wedding making small talk," Luke cajoled.

"Well, when you put it that way..." Reid replied, slowing down and pulling into the next gas station to turn around.

They drove back about a mile to a truck stop where Luke excitedly exclaimed, "See, I was right! That is her car! I'd recognize that plate anywhere." Lily had recently traded in her BMW for a gold Lexus RX 350 to accommodate Ethan and Natalie's increasingly full schedule of playdate requests. Her vanity plates read: _LFNE_ –Luke, Faith, Natalie, Ethan. The shiny SUV looked like a comical fairy midget nestled in the forest of tractor-trailers and semis.

"What the hell are they doing in a dump like this?" Reid asked, looking at the shabby exterior of the diner.

"I dunno," Luke replied. "Hope they're okay. Let's find out."

Reid rolled his eyes and found a parking spot.

As they walked into the diner, it took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the dim lighting inside. A dozen grizzly and unkempt heads turned to stare at the two handsome men in suits who walked in.

Luke frowned as he scanned the room and then broke into a smile as he saw his family, dressed in their wedding finery, laughing over ice cream sundaes in a corner booth. Holden, who was sitting in the far corner, was the only one facing the doorway. He noticed the sudden hushed silence, looked up, and gave Luke and Reid a confused wave. The rest of Luke's family noticed Holden's wave and turned around to see Luke and Reid in surprise.

"Luke! Reid!" Ethan, whose suit was hidden under one of Holden's T-shirts, yelled, happily running over and giving them each a quick hug around the legs.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, watch it there, ice-cream-face," Luke laughed, dodging away from the chocolate-covered embrace. Ethan grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the table. Lily stood and gave them each a kiss on the cheek, Holden shook their hands, and Natalie smiled shyly, and then returned her attention to her ice cream. Faith, who was engrossed in exchanging text messages with her friends, lifted an eye to confirm that Ethan wasn't mistaken, and then returned to her phone.

"Look, Reid!" Ethan announced. "Sundaes! With _three_ scoops!" Reid looked enviously at the mound of ice cream in Ethan's dish.

"What are guys doing here?" Luke asked. "It's not exactly..." He searched for the right words, to avoid insulting any of the half-dozen truck drivers within eavesdropping distance.

"...your type of place," he concluded. "Aren't you going to be late for the wedding?"

"Your dad got a text from Jack saying that he and Margo got tied up at the station and are running 45 minutes late," Lily explained. "There are some advantages to having the best man as your date – you get insider information." She smiled warmly at Holden.

"I thought ice cream would be more appealing than standing around waiting for the wedding," Holden added. Ethan grinned broadly, the chocolate ice cream mustache and beard confirming his support for his parents' decision.

"Not like they didn't do enough of that this summer," Reid muttered, just loud enough for Luke to hear. Luke elbowed him in the ribs – hard enough to make him grimace.

Holden moved his chair over to make room on either side of Ethan for the new arrivals.

The adults chatted idly about weddings while Faith slouched back in her seat, arms crossed tightly across her chest. She rolled her eyes intermittently and continued texting, oblivious to her surroundings. Natalie quietly ate her ice cream, taking in the conversation. Reid watched Ethan devour his snack with more than a bit of jealousy.

"Oh, for god's sake, Reid," Luke finally sighed, "Just order one. You'll probably finish before Ethan does."

Ethan smiled supportively at Reid and gave him a victorious fist bump.

Shortly after Reid's ice cream arrived, Ethan, who had listened with great curiosity as the adults discussed the number of times Carly and Jack had been married, divorced, and remarried, turned to Holden and asked, "Hey, dad, since you're not marrying Molly, can you marry mom?" Then, pausing for a moment, he exclaimed, "Hey! 'Marry mom.' That rhymes!"

Natalie, who had been silent since Luke and Reid had arrived, retorted, "Marry and mom _do not_ rhyme, you nimrod!"

"Natalie!" Lily gasped.

"Yeah, nimrod!" said Ethan emphatically. "It does so rhyme."

"Ethan!" Lily exclaimed, "I don't want to hear either of you using that word." Several nearby truckers snickered visibly.

"Does _not," _Natalie reaffirmed.

"Does so!" replied Ethan stubbornly.

"Does not!"

"Does so!"

"Actually," Reid quietly interjected, swallowing particularly large mouthful of ice cream. "Natalie's right, Ethan. It's alliteration, not rhyming."

The rest of the table stared at Reid in silence. Luke gaped, his expression a cross between an admiring smile and a bewildered gawp.

"Words only rhyme when they end in the same sounds," Reid shrugged at Ethan. "Like 'fat cat.' or 'ice cream dream.' It's alliteration when they _start _with the same sound. Like 'marrying mom...um...on Monday morning," Reid continued.

Ethan turned to Holden, "Really? Can you marry mom on Monday morning?"

"Um, Ethan..."Holden began awkwardly, "Your mother and I can't just, um..."

"Hey guys," Luke said, addressing his siblings, "We've got a car here so you don't all have to cram into mom's car. Anyone want to ride with us?"

"Me, me!" shouted Ethan, raising both hands high in the air.

"I'm in," announced Faith, who had watched the whole Ethan and Natalie exchange sinking even more deeply into her chair, wishing she desperately that she could make her family disappear. She grabbed her cardigan off the back of her seat back and grumpily stalked out the door before anyone else could reply.

"Um – " Reid started, staring after her.

"_Somebody_ thinks it's embarrassing to arrive anywhere in the back seat of mom's car," Lily replied, completing the thought for him.

"Thanks, Luke," Holden added. "Why don't you guys go ahead; we'll settle up here. At least we know one of our children still loves us." He playfully wrapped his arm around Natalie and ave her a big hug. Natalie beamed at her parents and then turned around to stick her tongue out triumphantly at Ethan.

**

* * *

**

During the drive, Faith stared out the window, rolling her eyes and willing the drive to be over quickly. Ethan and Luke cheerfully talked about Ethan's first week at school – his new teacher, his best friends, where his coat hook was, the best games to play at recess.

When they arrived at the idyllic country manor, Reid had barely put the car in park before Faith hopped out of the car, without a glance back, saying, "See ya. I'm going to look for Parker."

"Faith!" Luke called out after her, about to admonish her for her manners (or lack thereof) and to confirm return transport arrangements, but Reid, recognizing a lost cause, gently put a hand on his arm and shook his head to remind him not to bother; there'd be plenty of time later.

Luke rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Since when do you know about poetic devices?" asked Luke.

Reid frowned quizzically. "What brings _that _to mind?"

"Alliteration?" Luke reminded him.

"Oh that," Reid acknowledged. "I _did_ graduate at the top of my class in both high school and college."

"Yeah, but I kinda assumed dorky science nerd guy spent all his time in a basement lab," Luke replied.

"Second floor. It was only the radiology and electron microscopy rats who were stuck in the basement. We even had a window," Reid corrected. "Besides, Harvard was a liberal arts college. We couldn't graduate without taking some damned distribution requirements."

Reid looked down to find Ethan at his side, vehemently "aheming," and quickly amended, "Darned."

"Darned distribution requirements?" Luke asked.

Reid nodded uncertainly wondering why Luke was all of a sudden so curious in his undergraduate graduation requirements. Ethan looked curiously from Luke to Reid and back.

"For your doctoral dissertation?"

Reid frowned in confusion. "No," he tried to explain. "It was for my undergrad. And MDs don't do doctoral dissertations."

"Yeah, but it has such a nice ring to it," Luke said, ignoring the technicality. "Darned distribution requirements for a doctoral dissertation – doesn't that sound dastardly?" Luke asked dramatically.

Reid scowled sceptically while Ethan looked from one to the other, trying to make sense of the exchange.

"I have another bit of alliteration for you," Luke added, smiling deviously. He took two steps towards Reid, cupped his hands around Reid's ear and whispered into it, making sure his lips brushed Reid's earlobe as he finished.

Reid's eyebrow wasn't the only body part that involuntarily popped up at Luke's suggestion.

"Hey!" Ethan protested. "I wanna hear the 'litter-ation', too."

Luke laughed as Reid uncomfortably adjusted his suit jacket and croaked, "We'd better get moving. We wouldn't want them to start without us, now, would we?" He turned to make his way towards the main entrance, with Luke and Ethan trailing behind him.

"C'mon, Ethan," Luke said, taking Ethan's hand. "Reid's right. We'd better get going."

"Luke," Ethan asked, "Why is Reid so cross? Did you say something mean to him?"

Luke laughed again. "No, I don't think he's cross," Luke said. "He's just..."

Reid slowed down to hear Luke's explanation.

Luke stopped and squatted next to Ethan and whispered in the boy's ear, just loud enough to ensure Reid would overhear, "I think he just needs to stop at the little boys' room before we go find our seats." He winked at Reid.

Reid glowered back.

"Come on," said Luke, taking Ethan's hand. "Don't drag your feet, 'cause when you gotta go..."

"You gotta go!" Ethan helped Luke enthusiastically finish the sentence. Ethan broke into a run, and dragged Luke along behind him, passing Reid along the way. Reid glared at their backs, shook his head, and reluctantly picked up the pace to keep up with them.

**

* * *

**

Luke was only halfway back to his cottage. He didn't think the walk had ever taken so long before, but today, it seemed interminable.

He glanced down at the box under his arm. The brown box. The big brown box. The big beautiful brown box? Luke shook his head and smiled to himself and continued on his way.

It was November before Luke gained a better understanding of Reid's familiarity with poetic devices. A few nights after Luke moved into Katie's place, Reid took Luke's hint and finished unpacking the stack of unopened boxes that had stood in the corner of his room gathering dust since he first agreed to supervise development of the Snyder Pavilion back in March. Luke helped him move the four large boxes into their new office, neatly standing armfuls of medical texts and scientific journals on the bookshelf, only to have Reid remove them and replace them in Dewey decimal order.

And so they continued for the better part of twenty minutes until they were finally most of the way through the final dust-covered box. Luke looked in the near-empty container and was surprised to see a single, small volume, nearly lost among the giant texts and reference books. He pulled it out and handled it gently, almost reverently in deference to its obvious age.

"Edwin Arlington Robinson: Collected Poems?" Luke asked curiously.

"Mm hmm," Reid answered, without any emotion.

Luke looked at the brittle green dust cover, torn around the edges, faded, and covered in a plastic sleeve. The pages were a pale yellow, and covered with a woven pattern only seen on fine stationery these days. Luke carefully opened the book and was briefly mortified when a small shower of brittle page crumbs fell in his lap. Reid shook his head to indicate that it was not a big deal.

Luke intuitively put his nose to the open pages and inhaled the distinct smell of old books, mingled with a faint redolence of pipe tobacco smoked some long ago evening. He carefully turned to the cover page and mentally deciphered the Roman numeral date. _MCMXXVII._

"1927?" he asked, "Is it an original edition?"

"Not quite. But pretty close," Reid replied. "I got it at a used bookstore in Harvard Square."

"Poems?" asked Luke, smiling, half inwardly thrilled that he'd stumbled upon some that felt like an amazing secret, half dying to know what kind of poetry Reid Oliver kept in the bottom of a box of medical journals – perhaps contemporary haiku? Or romantic sonnets?

Reid shrugged and found himself suddenly pre-occupied with taking inventory of his _Journal of Neurology_ issues, making sure they were in strict chronological order.

Luke flipped open the book to a random page and read aloud. Reid occasionally allowed his eyes to cast a glance in Luke's direction, to see if they could gauge his reaction, but mostly he kept his head still and focused on the apparent sorting task at hand.

_**The Man Against the Sky**_

_Between me and the sunset, like a dome  
Against the glory of a world on fire,  
Now burned a sudden hill,  
Bleak, round, and high, by flame-lit height made higher,  
With nothing on it for the flame to kill  
Save one who moved and was alone up there  
To loom before the chaos and the glare  
As if he were the last god going home  
Unto his last desire..._

Luke stopped reading. "Geez, that's cheery." He randomly flipped to a different page:

_**The Whip**_

_The doubt you fought so long  
The cynic net you cast,  
The tyranny, the wrong,  
The ruin, they are past;  
And here you are at last,  
Your blood no longer vexed.  
The coffin has you fast,  
The clod will have you next..._

"Jesus, Reid," Luke muttered under his breath. "Who the hell is this guy?"

"A poet," Reid replied.

"Thanks," Luke scowled. "I got that much. He sounds more like the harbinger of death. What's he doing in this box with all your medical books?"

"He won three Pulitzers," Reid said quietly, then added, still unsure how Luke would respond to knowing he liked poetry, much less poetry written by a poet with a penchant for dreary subject matter, "And I like him."

"Really? Why?" Luke asked frowning.

"His poems have a lot of structure. None of this no-rhymes, no rhythm, no capitals modernist crap," Reid ineloquently began.

"And he has a way with words and descriptions, he added. Reid got up from his position on the floor by the bookcase and walked over to Luke. "Here," he said, reaching out his hand to request the book, which Luke obligingly handed over. Reid walked over to the couch and sat down, and Luke joined him at his side. Reid reached an arm around Luke's shoulder and pulled them back into the couch, and familiarly opened the book's back cover. He reached underneath the dust cover and pulled out a slightly yellowed sheet of paper, which had clearly been torn from a spiral-bound school notebook. The handwriting on the page was vaguely familiar to Luke, but somehow more legible.

Reid carefully unfolded it with an almost-reverence Luke was unaccustomed to seeing. Luke lifted his head from Reid's shoulder to nod his encouragement, then comfortably leaned back. Reid leaned his head on top of Luke's and read:

_**Richard Cory**_

_Whenever Richard Cory went down town,  
We people on the pavement looked at him:  
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,  
Clean favored, and imperially slim._

_And he was always quietly arrayed,  
And he was always human when he talked;  
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,  
"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked._

_And he was rich, richer than a king,  
And admirably schooled in every grace:  
In fine, we thought that he was everything  
To make us wish that we were in his place._

_So on we worked, and waited for the light,  
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;  
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,  
Went home and put a bullet through his head._

When Reid finished reading, he tilted his head forwards to see the inscrutable expression on Luke's face.

Luke paused thoughtfully for a moment before asking, "Richard Cory – as in the Simon and Garfunkel song?"

"It's based on this poem," Reid replied, encouraged.

"Why is this one special?" Luke wondered.

"It was the first Robinson poem I ever read," Reid said. Then added, "I came across it when I was in high school. Someone had written it on a desk in one of the carrels in the library. It took me nearly a week to chase it down."

"You could have just asked someone," Luke offered.

Reid's frown said, "And admit that I was interested in a poem? No way."

"Chicken," Luke joked.

Reid ignored him and continued, "I guess it just struck a chord."

"You mean about the rich guy getting his?" Luke asked, suspiciously.

"In part," Reid admitted. He looked Luke in the eyes before continuing. "But the way Robinson described Richard Cory – fluttering, glittering – I sometimes wondered if he were – "

"– gay?" Luke asked, completing the thought.

"Yeah," Reid agreed.

"You know, this isn't exactly a happy ending for the potentially gay guy," Luke pointed out.

"I know."

"In fact," Luke said, taking the book back, and flipping through a few more pages, "These are all kind of dreary."

"I know," Reid acknowledged. "Trust me, I know." But then his face broke into a gleeful grin. "Of course, it didn't hurt that it drove muu-muu-wearing Miss Dernberger nuts."

"Who?" asked Luke.

"Dizzy Mizz Dee. She was the flakiest English teacher I ever had and I got stuck with her junior year. We each had to pick a poet to write about. After she lusted over the reports on Elizabeth Barrett Browning and William Butler Yeats, she had to struggle to find something nice to say about Robinson." Reid chuckled at the memory.

"There's so much about you I _still_ don't know," Luke sighed.

"So?" Reid replied, smiling to himself over his other E.A. Robinson memory.

"Hey!" Luke protested, "You don't have to be so smug about it. Tell me something else I don't know."

Reid rolled his eyes.

"Please?" Luke pleaded. He turned his eyes askance and made a sad puppy-dog face. "With candy sprinkles on top?"

Reid rolled his eyes again, but acquiesced.

"I took a poetry survey course in college," Reid began.

"You did _what?"_ Luke exclaimed, scrunching up his nose in surprise.

"Mm hmm," Reid continued. "Truth is, I put off fulfilling my language and lit requirement until second semester of my third year –"

"Which was when you finished, right?" Luke asked.

"Mm hmm," Reid confirmed. "So it was my last semester, and the damned poetry class was the only one I could fit into my schedule. So I was stuck in this huge lecture hall full of eager-beaver freshman English majors. It was hell."

"I can imagine," Luke smiled, trying to picture a young Reid stuck in a lecture hall with hundreds of brown-nosing poets.

"At any rate, I usually only spoke when called on," Reid said, "But compared to the pretentious drivel the other kids were spouting, I probably sounded like Einstein."

"I thought you were _smarter_ than Einstein," Luke chided.

"I am," Reid conceded. "But the poetry crap was so pretentious.'

Luke nodded in amusement.

"So at any rate, I guess you could say the prof took a liking to me," Reid continued.

"_He did?" _Luke asked.

"You don't have to sound so surprised about it," Reid said. "I'm a likable guy."

"Since when?"

Reid ignored him. "And it was a _she_. And _she_ recognized genius when she saw it. Plus I found out that she actually got her degree in chemistry, so we got along okay."

"Because of course, that's the most important qualification for a poetry professor, right? A degree in chemistry?" Luke asked.

"So at any rate," Reid began again, "Harvard has these student-faculty lunch days, where you can invite any prof to lunch 'to get to know them.' " Reid made little quotation mark gestures with his hands and then rolled his eyes again. "The profs go and actually eat in the student dining halls with the plebes."

"And you invited the poetry prof?" Luke asked, surprised to find that he was continuously more surprised as the story continued.

"Mm hmm," Reid nodded. "My advisor was being a pig-headed jackass –"

"Can't imagine why someone like that would appeal to you," Luke interjected.

"So I needed a break," Reid continued, without skipping a beat. "Plus I knew it would piss off all the stuck up English lit majors."

"Ah, now the truth comes out," Luke smiled.

"And things were actually going okay," said Reid. "I hadn't even insulted her at all. But then we started talking about this PBS series she worked on. I asked her how she could leave out and she gave some half-baked reasons. I pointed out the flaws in her logic and then she up and called him a second-tier poet, so I got up and left."

"You left her in the middle of lunch? In the student cafeteria?" Luke asked, not sure if his eyebrows could actually rise any higher.

"Mm hmm," Reid nodded again, smiling with a modicum of self-satisfaction. "And she was none too pleased about it. She was pretty recognizable on campus and there were probably a good dozen or two kids who caught the full exchange."

"Reid!" Luke said, stifling a laugh, "That was downright rude!"

"Yeah," he agreed, as his expression changed from a smug smile to a frown. "She probably thought so, too. I got my only B ever in that class."

"You got a _B_?" Luke asked. He sat up straight and then mimed fainting backwards onto the arm of the couch.

"Damned Vendler." Reid said.

**

* * *

**

_Vendler,_ thought Luke. He suddenly realized why the name had rung a bell when Bradley had made his name-dropping introduction. He chuckled, imagining Bradley as one of the brown-nosing freshman, trumped by an aspiring neurosurgeon with no apparent interest in English lit.

_Bradley. Damn Bradley and his "who's getting married?" questions._

Luke finally arrived back at his cottage. He precariously held the box against the doorframe, held in place by his hip as his cold fingers fumbled with his key. When the reticent lock finally turned, he gratefully released the box back into his hands and let himself in. He resisted the urge to drop all his belongings and run to the bed to tear open the box. He felt like a kid on Christmas morning.

He forced himself to exercise some self-control, and purposefully placed his bag on the floor and hung his jacket on the back of his chair. He pulled out his laptop, plugged it in, and started it up before going to his kitchenette to set a pot of water boiling.

He looked around the room for something to cut the reinforced packing tape. Finding nothing, he resorted to repeatedly stabbing at the sticky reinforced plastic with his room key until enough broke away for him to peel the rest of the strip off and open the top flaps of the brown corrugated shipping box.

_Shit,_ Luke thought. _It really is filled with peanuts. _Mounds and mounds of mint green Styrofoam peanuts. He dug his hand in, feeling around until he finally found the smaller box buried within and then grabbed on tight and fished it out, generating a shower of peanuts along the way. He got up to banish the shipping box and offending peanuts to the corner, shaking off the final few that held on with staticky insistence. Excitement mingled with trepidation as he sat back down on the bed, staring at the smaller box in his hands.

**

* * *

**

_**A/N: **__I originally did not intend to break this chapter here, but at 7800+ words, I thought it was about time! I promise it won't be a month before the next chapter. Extended author's notes will be posted when the next chapter, which is conceptually part of this one, is posted._


	29. Love Two, Cynicism Zip

**Chapter 29: Love two; cynicism zip  
**

The box's shape – long and slender, about seven inches long, gave away more information about what wasn't inside than what was. Luke gently ran his fingers along the box's smooth, dark wooden finish before carefully opening the hinged top.

Luke found himself staring at the deep blue velvet lining with an odd combination of emotions beginning with surprise and confusion, but then segueing into curiosity, and – if he dared to voice his deepest thoughts – disappointment.

Someone – presumably Reid – had sent him a spoon. A silver one.

Luke reached in, picked it up and turned it over in his hands. On the back was an engraved inscription that he couldn't quite make out. He leaned sideways over onto his bed and turned on the bedside lamp, holding the spoon up under the light to get a better view.

As soon as his eyes adjusted to the bright light, he read the inscription and laughed out loud. _Glad you didn't choke. Always, Reid._

Luke smiled: Reid had signed the inscription, "Always." Luke tried to remember whether Reid had ever used that closing before, but realized that most of Reid's communications were emails and Post-It notes, which weren't exactly amenable to great sentiment.

Luke gently set the wooden box down on his bed, but held on tight to the spoon as he made his way back across the room to where he'd deposited his messenger bag. He quickly pulled out his phone and tapped on the menu button to check the date. _ January 19th, 2011._

_Well, I'll be,_ Luke thought to himself. Not only had Reid remembered (and Luke had to admit, that the significance of the day had gone unrecognized by himself until just now), but he'd memorialized the anniversary of his arrival in Oakdale by making what could debatably be considered a romantic gesture – debatable in choice of presents and message, but unquestionably romantic in sentiment. Luke was starting to suspect that in time, Reid would prove himself to be an even greater marshmallow than even he'd suspected, despite that gruff exterior he'd worked so hard to cultivate.

Luke was still smiling to himself when the whistle of the kettle called out to him. He carefully closed the gift box and placed it on the bedside table. Then he got up to make himself a cup of tea. As it brewed, he grabbed his phone and sent a quick text. _A spoon? What were you thinking? Will be in all night and up __as late as nec for us to talk live. Call me as soon as you're free? Love, Luke_

Luke took his cup of tea over his desk and sat down with his laptop and a notepad, intending to review emails and work on his assignment until Reid called. Instead, he found himself aimlessly doodling and staring out the window. He knew that unless surgery had run late, that Reid would probably be at lunch with Bob, or, if finished.

As he sipped his tea, he turned the spoon over in his hand, the warmth from the cup transferring first to his hands and then to the spoon. _Had it really been a year already?_

Even after 365 days – though granted they'd been "together" for only about half of that year – it still felt like they never had enough time together. There were so many things he looked forward to sharing with Reid – the Hubbard squash cutting (Reid had yet to be subjected to the traditional hazing of the newest Snyder where the poor new relation is saddled with the task of breaking through the gourd's impenetrable outer shell), the hayloft (and, ahem, breaking it in), the Polish baker at the weekly farmer's market who baked the world's best chocolate zucchini bread, the annual Snyder Easter egg hunt, the secluded walking paths in Bearpatch State Park, bowling at...

Luke stopped mid-thought and picked up the phone to call Lily. He needed her planning assistance. He pulled his phone out again and dialed Lily's number to tap into her connections. After assuring her that nothing was wrong after she answered, alarmed at the second phone call in less than a week, he was finally able to get in a word edgewise to make his request.

As he hung up with Lily, he looked down to find that his randomly doodled shapes had somehow morphed into a string of hearts. It reminded him of one of Faith's brown paper textbook covers. He'd noticed she'd drawn _FS&PS 4EVA_ all over one side of her social studies book.

_LS&RO 4EVA_, Luke wrote, surrounding it with a big loopy heart. Luke rolled his eyes imagining what Reid's reaction would be. He crumpled up the sheet of paper and tossed it towards the rubbish bin, raising his arms victoriously and mouthing "two points!" as it clattered against the bottom.

The other side of Faith's notebook had been covered with scribbled letters. Natalie, who had seen Luke staring curiously at it, had explained. "You write down your name and the name of the guy you're crushing on. Then you cross out all the letters that are repeated, like this. She took out a pad and demonstrated with Holden and Lily's names:

Lx **I** Lx Y**x ** **/ W A** Lx Sx Hx

Hx **O** Lx Dx Ex Nx / Sx Nx Yx Dx Ex **R**

"Then you count up the remaining letters like this: Love, hate, friendship, marriage...love." said Natalie, pointing one at a time to the remaining letters as she cycled through the four options. "Oh," she said, smiling grimly at her stopping point, "Maybe that's why they can't stay married." Luke gave her a playful nudge with his shoulder.

"How do you know about this?" Luke had asked. "Aren't you a little young?"

"A girl's got her secrets," Natalie smiled back, winking.

Now, as he sat in his cottage, waiting for Reid's call, he couldn't resist taking out a blank sheet of paper, and neatly writing out:

L U K E / S N Y D E R

R E I D / O L I V E R

Then glancing around sheepishly, to make sure no one was watching, in his clearly empty room, he proceeded to cross out the common letters in their names:

Lx **U K** Ex **/ S N Y** Dx Ex Rx

Rx Ex Ix Dx / **O** Lx Ix **V** Ex Rx

_Love, hate, friendship, marriage. Love, hate...friendship. Damn. Friendship._

Then he recalled Natalie explaining that you can always try nicknames and middle names if you don't get the result you like, so he turned over his piece of paper and began again:

Lx Ux **C** Ix Ax Nx Ox / Ex Dx Ux Ax Rx Dx Ox / ** S **Nx **Y** Dx Ex Rx

Rx Ex Ix Dx / Ex Rx Ix Cx / Ox Lx Ix **V** Ex Rx

_Love hate friendship...marriage. That's better. _Luke laughed at his own silliness, but was startled when the phone on his table started rattling. Embarrassed, he quickly scribbled out his doodles – despite knowing that the person on the other end of the call couldn't see what he was up to – before picking up his phone to see who was calling. "Not Reid," Luke sighed, resigning himself to dealing with the latest issues at Grimaldi Shipping.

**

* * *

**

Reid was just starting rounds when he noticed Luke's text. _A spoon? What were you thinking? _

Reid tried to interpolate Luke's response but had a hard time thanks to the expressionless medium of text messaging. _Amused? Annoyed? Ambivalent? _Katie's response hadn't exactly reassured him that sending the spoon had been a good idea.

Katie had stopped by Reid's office early Tuesday afternoon, ostensibly to see how well Reid had survived after leaving the studio on Monday evening. In reality, Chris had a meeting later in the afternoon with a major donor and had managed to forget his jacket and tie, so Katie had brought it in to the hospital. When Reid raised an eyebrow and asked when she had added "courier service" to her list of job skills, Katie had scowled at him and muttered something about needing to have Jacob's cough checked out.

"And," Katie offered, "If you promise not to make any more snide remarks about Chris, I'll buy you coffee."

"I'm not being snide, I'm simply making an observation," Reid said. "Besides, Jacob's obviously fine."

"And when did you become Dr. Sears?" asked Katie.

"I don't need to be a rugrat-wearing quack to know that the baby I shared a house with for nearly a year has nothing worse than a case of the sniffles," Reid retorted.

"He was coughing up a storm this morning," said Katie, defensively. "Better safe than sorry."

"Right," said Reid. "And we just won't mention that your little jaunt to the hospital conveniently saved Chris from having to take responsibility for the fact that the bonehead forgot that the Webbs are coming in this afternoon to discuss their donation and you bailed him out."

"I'm so glad we're not discussing it," Katie said. "Otherwise I might have to tell you to butt out and mind your own business."

As Katie became more agitated, her voice rose noticeably in pitch. Jacob, who'd been sitting quietly in his stroller, watching the exchange between Reid and Katie caught wind of the change in Katie's tone of voice and suddenly started wailing in protest.

"Jacob!" Katie admonished.

Reid, expecting her usual "Aw Jacob, honey, tell mommy what's wrong," was surprised by the unfamiliar frustration in her voice, and bit back the urge to remind Katie that he was not butting in her business as in fact, _she_ had stopped by his office and volunteered why she was wandering around the hospital.

"Oh, Jacob, honey," Katie was saying, unstrapping him from the safety harness. "Mommy's sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you, sweetie. Don't cry, baby."

Reid sat back in his office chair and watched as Katie picked up Jacob and walked him over to the couch and sat down, rubbed Jacob's back and sang a comforting lullaby.

After a few minutes, Jacob stopped crying and gently sniffled as Katie played a game of peekaboo, and a few more minutes later he was giggling happily in her lap as Katie playfully covered her face with her hands. Reid smiled in spite of himself.

Reid gave Katie a few minutes of peace as she determinedly avoided eye contact, seemingly absorbed by the game of peekaboo, before he finally interjected.

"All right, Katie," he said. "Out with it. Why are you acting like you're me? It can't be that time of month – your ankles look too normal."

Katie made a face at him.

"And it's not just because I'm making fun of Doogie for making you his errand lackey. Why are you here?"

"To see how you survived the night," Katie covered.

"Fine," Reid said. "Luke left me a nice voicemail and I forgave him."

"You _forgave_ him?" asked Katie incredulously. "For what? For getting a message from Noah? For having a life without you? Get over yourself, Reid."

"Okay, Katie," Reid said. "You don't have to jump all over me. Maybe 'forgive' isn't the right word. But I tried to make it up to him."

"What do you mean?" Katie asked.

"Well, I might have gotten him a little something," Reid mumbled.

"What was that?" asked Katie, perking up. She stood up with Jacob and walked over and sat on the corner of Reid's desk. "I don't think I heard you right. It sounded like you said you bought him something! Spill!"

"Forget I said anything," Reid said, wishing he'd kept his mouth shut.

"No way, buster," Katie said, beaming. "You bought Luke something without my elbowing you in the ribs to remind you and I want to know what it is!"

"None of your business," Reid said.

"Enh!" Katie said, making the universal "wrong answer" noise. "Try again, Dr. Oliver."

Reid sighed and rolled his eyes.

"We're waiting," Katie sing-songed impatiently, holding Jacob up for emphasis. "C'mon Jacob, help me out here. Give Uncle Reidy the evil eye!" Reid knew that look in Katie's eyes – she was relentless and would hound him until Luke returned from Iowa at this rate. Plus it had been a couple of hours since lunch and Katie had promised him coffee.

"It was a silver spoon," Reid muttered.

The big smile on Katie's face fell away. "You bought him what?" she asked.

"I had a silver spoon sent to him," Reid repeated quietly, realizing that it sounded a lot more eccentric than it had seemed late the night before.

"Why the hell would you do that?" Katie asked.

Reid raised his eyebrows at her, and gestured towards Jacob, hoping to deflect attention.

"Heck," she corrected herself, "Why the _heck_ would you do that?"

"Well, the first time I met Luke, I might have said something about hoping he choked on the silver spoon in his mouth," Reid admitted.

"Awww, you sent him an anniversary gift. Reid, I almost thought there was hope for you after all, Katie exclaimed. "But a silvers spoon? What were you thinking?"

"It's a nice spoon," Reid said. "And it's not like I got it from Amazon! It comes from a jeweler my med school roommate swore by."

"Wait a minute," Katie paused. "So Luke is getting a package from a jeweler?"

"Yeah," Reid said. "Where else would you get a silver spoon?"

"Just how nice a spoon is it," asked Katie, sounding wary.

"Nice, I guess," Reid replied, bewildered. "What difference does it make?"

"It makes all the difference in the world," Katie exclaimed, looking at Reid as if he were a few watts dimmer than a nightlight. "What jeweler?"

"A place called Shreve, Crump & Low," Reid replied. "Why?"

"Why?" Katie yelped, shaking her head in dismay. "Oh! You are so exasperating!"

Reid was thoroughly confused. "What's wrong with getting it from a nice Boston jeweler? It's a classy place. I would have thought you'd approve!"

"Well, yeah, if you'd gotten him _jewelry _I would be jumping up and down, cheering and sending up fireworks!" Katie said.

"So what's the problem?" asked Reid.

"The problem is you got him a _spoon!" _Katie groaned. "The poor boy is going to get a box from a fancy high-class Boston jeweler. Don't you think he's going to be expecting to find something else inside?"

"Something else?" Reid asked. "Like what?"

"Like what?" Katie repeated. "Are you sure you're a genius?"

"I'll have you know that my IQ –" Reid started, before Katie cut him off.

"It's not your IQ I'm worried about!" Katie replied. "Don't you think he might be _expecting _a piece of jewelry when he sees a box from a jeweler?

"Jewelry?" Reid asked. "Why? Luke doesn't wear jewelry."

Katie turned to face Jacob, who had started to giggle at the funny expressions he was seeing on the faces of both the adults. "Jacob, pay close attention to this. Whatever you do, do _not_ take gift buying advice from your Uncle Reid."

"What'd I do?" Reid asked.

"Don't you think Luke might think you sent him a _ring?"_ she asked, jiggling her engagement ring for emphasis.

"A ring?" Reid asked, "Why would I –" He stopped himself mid-sentence as the meaning of Katie's words finally hit home.

Katie nodded knowingly.

"No," Reid said, "No way. Why would Luke jump to that conclusion?"

"Well, for starters, because you're sending him a box from a fancy schmancy jeweler."

"They're from Boston," Reid said. "He won't even know it's from a jeweler."

"For starters," Katie said, "They're not just _any _Boston jeweler. We ran a story on them two years ago. Luke's family's loaded. They know about this kind of thing."

"Luke's family may be well off," Reid said, "But Luke's not like that. He's not into all those pretentious trappings of wealth."

"Why Reid," Katie said, "Are you admitting that Luke's not the spoiled princess you once thought he was?"

"No," Reid said, "He's definitely a spoiled princess." Then added with a reflexive smile, "But he's _my_ spoiled princess."

Katie returned the smile. "Exactly my point," Katie said, softening. "Don't you think that's exactly why he might be expecting something a little smaller...and rounder?"

Reid shook his head vigorously – despite the seed of doubt Katie had planted – and said with more confidence than he felt, "No way. Luke knows how I feel about marriage."

"Feel?" Katie asked, "Or used to feel?"

"It's the same thing," Reid said.

"Are you sure?" Katie prodded. "Aren't you the same guy who thought that Luke threw his money around, that love was overrated, and that living together meant getting on each other's nerves and growing to resent each other?"

Reid squirmed under Katie's laser-intense gaze.

"How _do_ you feel about marriage?" Katie asked, point blank. "Now? Today?"

"Katie," Reid said. "Don't take this the wrong way, but, given the number of times you've been married, why do you even have to ask?"

Katie's expression turned dark.

"Aw, c'mon. Don't pretend that the reason you're yelling at Jacob has nothing to do with the fact that you brought up Brad's picture last night and it didn't go over well with Doogie," Reid continued.

Katie folded her arms, defiantly, refusing to let him know he was right. "We were talking about _you_, not me."

"Oh, it's okay for you to ask me how I feel about marriage, but it's not okay for ask about your marrying someone who doesn't get Brad's place in Jacob's life – and who expects you to fetch his laundry?"

"_You_ wanted me to _do _your laundry," Katie retorted.

"Yeah," Reid said, "But the difference is, you _never_ would have done it for me!"

"I'm not in love with you," Katie replied.

"Ouch," Reid said, miming pulling a knife out of his heart. "Are you sure you're in love with Chris enough to marry him?"

"Are you sure you're _not_ in love with Luke enough to marry _him?"_

Katie paused and waited for an answer. It was Reid's turn to avoid eye contact. After several beats, Jacob started making "I'm hungry" noises.

"I'd better get some food into this little guy before his nap, or he's going to turn into a bear," Katie laughed weakly.

"He's not the only one," Reid agreed, "I only had time for a quick bite with Bob before I had to get back to see a referral. Should we get going so you can continue to avoid talking about Doogie?"

Jacob babbled his approval, so Katie conveniently avoided answering the question, put Jacob back in his stroller and turned on her heels towards the door.

**

* * *

**

Reid and Katie sipped their coffee in relative silence, each immersed in their own thoughts. Katie pretended to devote all her attention to Jacob, who was happily munching on a piece of toast, oblivious to the awkward silence between his dining companions.

Katie's question rang in Reid's ears as he downed his oversized grilled ham and cheese panini. "How _do_ you feel about marriage?"

Reid had never stopped to consider that his opinion on the matter might have changed. He had always hated the pomp and circumstance associated with weddings: the formality, the churches, the vows that seemed to be shackles just asking to be broken. Casey and Alison's and Holden and Molly's interrupted nuptials had done nothing to dissuade him of his point of view.

But when he stopped to think about it, Carly and Jack's wedding had been different. It certainly hadn't started off well. After Luke dropped the bomb about only getting married once, it had become clear to Reid for the first time that Luke really envisioned himself married, which would make him – Reid Oliver, bachelor curmudgeon – the most likely candidate for the role of Luke Snyder's husband. It was, in fact, probably the first and only time he'd even thought the word "husband" in a sentence that also involved himself.

Reid couldn't remember the last time he had thought about marriage, though he suspected it may have been many years back in a conversation with his grandmother when he was just a teenager.

Prior to the wedding, Reid had crossed paths with Jack a few times at Snyder family functions, and was starting to see why Holden was so fond of his "cuz."

At the Labor Day picnic, Luke and Reid had found themselves going head-to-head against Carly and Jack in several events. Both couples had done a much better job than their younger counterparts at mastering the coordination required, with Luke and Reid taking the three-legged race, and Carly and Jack exacting revenge a few minutes later by taking the egg and spoon relay (which was run using new potatoes in place of the fragile eggs).

The four of them had collapsed, laughing in the end zone and calling a draw in the debate to see which losers should buy the drinks. Reid looked at Carly and Jack, piled in a heap, laughing, oblivious to the dozens of others milling about. It occurred to him that they looked not unlike he felt, silly, giddy, and carefree; he impulsively gave Luke's hand a tug and planted a playful kiss on his lips. Luke smiled in surprise, but happily.

In the end, Luke sprang for lemonades for himself and Carly, while Jack went in search of a couple of beers for himself and Reid. Together, they sat on the sidelines, armchair quarterbacking the wheelbarrow race, laughing while Parker and Faith took on Casey and Ali, Gabriel and Liberty, Sage and JJ, Will and Gwen, Ethan and Nathalie, and Henry and Barbara (who were more than holding their own against the younger set).

Jack sat with his legs slightly straddled, and Carly leaned back against him, their left hands intertwined, their right hands free to juggle their drinks.

"Let's hope no one has to rely on Dr. McGenius here if they sprain an ankle," Carly muttered, watching the race. Three pairs of eyes turned to her in surprise.

"Well, he was, like Oakdale's sorriest excuse for a doctor when I hurt my ankle at Molly's wedding," Carly protested.

"That's only 'cause I was being asked to treat the lamest excuse for a sprained ankle I'd ever seen," Reid retorted.

"Oh, ho! Touché!" laughed Jack, heartily, fully appreciating someone who could give it to Carly as good as they got.

Luke gently punched Reid in the shoulder, but smiled cheerfully at Reid doing something that seemed suspiciously like bonding.

"Yeah, well, let's hope no one sprains any ankles at our wedding," Jack smiled.

"They wouldn't _dare!"_ Carly warned.

"How goes the wedding planning, anyways?" Luke asked.

"So far, so good," Carly said. "You're coming, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Luke smiled.

"You too, right, Reid, you're coming, aren't you?" Carly asked.

"Me?" Reid's face reflected an expression that almost looked like fear.

"Don't worry," Luke replied for him. "He's coming." He gave Luke a stern look.

"But –" Reid started.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world," Luke smiled.

"We'd better get going," Jack nodded towards the field. "Sage and JJ look like they're trying to hail us."

"I'm so glad you're coming," Carly said, giving Luke a hug and a kiss on each cheek, and then repeating the procedure on Reid who stared at her dumbfounded – first at the kisses on the cheeks, and second at the fact that she actually sounded sincere.

"C'mon old lady," Jack called. He gestured towards his back.

"Sure you can handle it, old man?" Carly asked.

"Try me," Jack smiled.

Carly smiled back as Jack squatted a few inches down to allow Carly easy access to his back. She cautiously circled her arms around his neck and gave a little hop to climb on.

"Oof!" Jack laughed, then called out to Luke and Reid "See you in a couple of weeks!" as he started off towards Sage and JJ at a light jog.

"Ack!" Carly yelped and then giggled as she hung on for dear life.

Luke smiled at Reid, took his hand and lifted it to his lips, giving it a quick kiss before wrapping an arm around Reid's waist as they watched Jack - with Carly perched precariously on his back - waddling off into the distance.

**

* * *

**

After a brief pit stop, they had found the open meadow that had been set up for the wedding. As soon as Ethan caught sight of the wedding party, he dropped Luke's hand and sprinted up to give hugs to Uncle Jack and a young man Reid didn't recognize.

The sun was shining brightly, taking the edge off the early afternoon coolness that had come with the first days of autumn. The temperature was unseasonably comfortable, and even the mosquitoes seemed to have received the memo telling them not to disturb the wedding. The wedding party seemingly glowed, and Reid silently wondered if they would all be smiling so brightly had Mother Nature chosen not to bless them with such glorious sunshine.

Jack was pacing at the make-shift altar, while Holden chatted with the handsome young man. Luke slowed up until Reid caught up with him, and he took his hand, gently dragging him towards the altar.

"Hey, long time no see," Holden laughed.

Luke smiled at the lame attempt at humor. "Where did you find this guy, anyways," he asked the young man.

"I dunno, I think he came as part of a package deal – you know, rent-a-best-man?" the young man responded, giving Luke a big hug and a pat on the back.

Luke, noticing Reid watching the exchange with curiosity, smiled and added, "Reid, this is my brother Aaron. Aaron, Reid Oliver."

"Nice to meet you," Reid muttered.

"Pleasure's all mine," Aaron smiled broadly, giving Reid a solid handshake. "I've heard a lot about you."

Reid found that he again found something attractive – both handsome and honest – in Aaron's eyes; something that the Snyder men seemed to share.

"Luke," a voice came from behind them.

"Grandma!" Luke exclaimed smiling, and giving her a big bear hug. "When did you get back?"

"Just yesterday," Emma smiled.

"So good to see you again, too, Dr. Oliver," Emma smiled, wrapping an embracing arm around Reid's shoulder.

"Aw grandma, you can call him Reid," Luke called.

Reid grimaced as Emma hugged him tighter.

"How's Meg?" Luke asked.

"She's all right," Emma sighed. "Better now that she's far away from that good-for-nothing ..."

"Now mom," Holden warned. "This is Jack and Carly's day. I'm sure Meg would want the focus to stay on their happiness."

"Of course, you're right, dear," Emma replied, gently patting Holden on the cheek. She turned to Jack and added, "Dear Jack, give me a hug."

"It's _so_ good to have you here," Jack said, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off the ground.

"Brad would be so happy for you, Jack," Emma said. "So would Bert."

"Thanks, Emma," Jack replied. "I think so, too."

"Hello, handsome," drawled an older blonde, sauntering into Reid's space. "I haven't seen you at any of these Snyder shindigs before. How'd I miss you?" Reid's eyebrows flew up, he took a big step backwards and he looked towards Luke for help.

The woman looked familiar to Luke, but he couldn't quite put his finger on her identity.

"Back off, Dee," Emma scolded. "He's out of your league."

"Ma," Jack protested, "You promised you'd behave yourself if you were invited."

"Oh, Jackie, don't be such a party-pooper. I am behaving myself," she smiled, sidling up to Reid. "But I'd misbehave with you any time."

"Aunt Dolores," Luke laughed, giving her a kiss on the cheek. After their earlier exchange, Luke briefly contemplated letting Reid swing in the wind for a few more minutes at Dolores Snyder Pierce's mercy. But then he took a second look at Reid's shellshocked face and took pity on him. "Aunt Dolores," he repeated, "This is my..." Luke briefly stumbled over the next word before trying again, "This is Dr. Reid Oliver. He's my date." Luke grabbed Reid's hand and pulled him out of Dolores's orbit.

Reid shrugged at Dolores and resisted the urge to kiss Luke's socks off just to make things perfectly clear. Luke later explained that his Great Aunt Dolores insisted that she be referred to as merely "Aunt," prompting Reid to wonder how sensible Jack Snyder could possibly share DNA with the cougar who'd accosted him earlier.

"Told ya," Emma smirked.

"Ma," Jack groaned. "Back off."

"Why, Luke, my dear," Dolores added, smiling approvingly at Luke, "Since when did you develop such glorious taste in men? Or should it be 'taste in glorious men'?" Dolores gave Reid a once-over and looked at him approvingly.

Reid quickly made his way back up the aisle, tugging Luke along, and taking a seat in the very back row.

Luke was always amused when people (men or women) picked up on Reid's good looks since Reid frequently seemed oblivious to his own attractiveness. Luke looked over at Reid, who had pulled out his cell phone and had suddenly found an urgent need to check his emails as he determinedly avoided eye contact with the many Snyders mingling about in the front section.

Katie waved to them a few minutes later as she and Chris made their way up the aisle, sitting down behind Tom and Margo. Henry and Barbara followed shortly afterwards and took seats next to Katie and Chris.

Luke dropped Reid's hand to give Abigail a hug as she arrived. "Abigail, you remember _Reid_, right?" Luke joked.

"You're never gonna let me live that one down, are you, Luke?" she asked.

"No way," Luke smiled.

"Good to see you again, _Reid_," Abigail said, walking behind Reid to give him a friendly peck on the cheek.

"Likewise," Reid muttered without expression.

Abigail looked a little worried at the brusque reception, but Luke leaned over and whispered, "Don't worry – he's always crabby at family gatherings."

Abigail smiled, "Right, gotcha," and continued up the aisle to give Aaron a hug.

The guests finished filing in and the string trio began playing a pre-processional pieces as a hush came over the gathered friends and family. A few moments later, the familiar strains of Pachelbel's "Canon in D" began playing, followed by the traditional wedding march. Sage was the first down the aisle, followed by Gwen and then Rosanna.

Reid leaned over to Luke and whispered, "Who's she?"

"Rosanna Cabot," Luke explained. "She's Carly's sister."

"As in Cabot Motors?" Reid asked.

"That's the one," Luke replied.

"Carly's sister?" Reid asked.

"Long story. Shh..." Luke chastized, as Molly made her way up the aisle.

At the end of the mercifully short procession, Carly entered, escorted by Parker, who said to Jack, just barely audibly to the back row, "She's all yours. Take care of her."

As Carly took her place by Molly's side. Molly beamed at Carly, and, thought Reid, looking much more comfortable in her own skin than she had at her own non-wedding with Holden.

"Nothing's forever in this world...things change, people move on," he'd told her, thinking of Luke and Noah. But looking at Holden, who surreptitiously shifted his glance between Molly and Lily who sat in the second row, Reid wondered if he and Luke would someday change and move on.

Reid looked over to Luke, who usually wore his emotions very visibly on his sleeve. But his face was relatively inscrutable that afternoon. Not pouty as he would have anticipated, given their earlier discussion, no hidden prodding or hinting. Rather peaceful, almost serene.

Reid turned his gaze towards Jack, who did look particularly handsome in a light charcoal suit. Reid easily imagined Luke standing in front of all the guests, as he envisioned Luke himself had imagined many times himself. Based on their experience with the new surgical wing, Reid was sure Luke would have attended to all the details from the flowers in the boutonnieres, to seating assignments, to the musical selections played by the string trio.

As Jack turned to look up the aisle, smiling proudly at all his guests, Reid could easily imagine Luke similarly beaming at his many loved ones. As Jack turned to face Carly, and before he could stop himself, Reid wondered if, when Luke imagined himself getting married these days, Luke pictured Reid at his side, or whether he thought about it more abstractly. And in spite of himself, he found himself disturbed by the thought of Luke taking part in a fantasy wedding with anyone other than himself standing at his side.

Reid reflexively held Luke's hand tighter to his lap and he shook his head to clear the image. Luke, surprised by the combination of actions, gave Reid a somewhat curious, but surprised smile.

"Will you take this man to be your husband –" the minister began.

"Yes!" Carly jumped in and both she and Jack giggled like schoolkids when the minister added, "There's more." The gathered guests laughed along with them, and a smile escaped Reid's mouth unchecked at their unbridled giddiness.

"We've been through better and worse, so I know I can do that," Carly volunteered. Again, their family and friends laughed easily at her unpretentious confidence.

"Foresaking all others, will you be faithful to him for as long as you both shall live?"

"He's mine; I'm his. That's that," Carly beamed.

While most of the audience beamed back at her, Reid couldn't resist leaning over to Luke and whispering, "Notice she didn't answer the question!"

"Buzzkill," Luke whispered back.

The minister turned to Jack and began, "Will you Jack –"

"What? Make a covenant there? I will...love her, comfort her, honor her, keep her? Absolutely. As far as being faithful, she's mine and that's that."

Reid raised his eyebrows and turned to point out that Jack didn't answer the question, either, but Luke silently elbowed him in admonishment.

When Molly read an Anne Bradstreet poem, Reid rolled his eyes. Luke rolled his eyes at Reid rolling his eyes and the two shared a silent laugh.

Reid then listened as Carly delivered her vows. "I didn't intend to love you," she began, and Reid quietly guffawed to himself in recognition of that familiar feeling. She went on to say, "I will never again forget that the truest, pureset part of me is you. My true north. My soul mate. My best friend."

Reid looked over at Luke and thought about how he'd never thought he had a soul mate. Though he'd never thought the words "soul mate," he did regularly marvel at how well matched he and Luke were - how they sparred toe to toe when each had an opinion; how easily they were able to read each other's moods; how they challenged each other; how they shared a fondness for walks in the park and quiet dinners for two; how perfectly they fit together when they made love.

Luke, who was smiling as he watched Jack and Carly, mesmerized by the ceremony, sensed that he was being watched. He turned questioningly to Reid who quickly returned his gaze to the happy couple. Luke frowned to himself and turned back as well.

Then it was Jack's turn: "Everybody here knows that the future is very uncertain and that things change." _There's that change again_, Reid thought.

"And that things that we never imagined could end do and, in fact, come to an end. None of us know where we're gonna be in a year," Jack continued. Reid thought about how much had changed in a mere eight months since he'd arrived in Oakdale, and he briefly allowed himself to wonder where he might be in a year...where Luke might be.

"But I know one true and steadfast thing, Carly – that I will always care for you and love you and honor you, as fiercely and passionately and tenderly as I know you love me."

Luke's contented smile remained fixed on his face as he glanced over at Reid, who instinctively mouthed, "I love you." Luke's smile broadened even wider as he silently replied, "I love you, too."

After the exchange of rings, and Jack's eager "Can I please?" request to kiss his bride, the gathered crowd applauded enthusiastically for the newly (re)married couple, who quickly disappeared for a few private moments in a nearby gazebo.

Luke turned to Reid and asked, "Now that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"That's 20 minutes I'll never get back," Reid quipped.

Luke pulled at Reid's hand to get him out of his seat. "C'mon," Luke smiled mischievously. "Let's go mingle."

"Oh, goody," deadpanned Reid, "If you wanted to torture me, why don't you just break out the whips and chains...speaking of which..."

Luke laughed comfortably, and linked his elbow inside Reid's, steering him towards the nearest champagne tray. "Here you go," he offered. "That oughta make things go a little better."

They walked around together, with Luke laughing easily with the many happy Snyders and friends. He made a point of introducing Reid to Will and Gwen, whom they'd only glanced briefly at the Labor Day picnic before the young couple made an early exit for the drive back to Carbondale.

Luke had long ago relayed to Reid how close he and Will had been as teenagers, and that Will had been the first person he'd ever come out to. Even before they'd met, Reid had a soft spot for the guy whose acceptance had helped give Luke the strength to acknowledge his sexuality and to embrace it.

They both hushed up when Molly took her turn to make a toast: "I don't think there's a person here who would argue that Carly and Jack were destined to be together. And when the history and love between two people is so strong, anyone who imagines that he or she could come between them should have his or her head examined. You can't fight destiny."

Reid watched as Molly glanced at Holden, who stood beside Faith and Lily, adding, "So why try?"

As those within earshot applauded and clinked glasses, Reid thought that Molly looked like the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders...from dropping her fight against destiny. A brief flash of anxiety crossed his mind and was reflected in his face.

Luke recognized that familiar look and leaned in close to whisper in Reid's ear, so that his voice tickled against the sensitive flesh below his ear, "Sometimes history is trumped by an even stronger love. _That's_ destiny."

Reid turned his eyes to meet Luke's as he gently touched Reid's cheek and followed with a featherlight kiss. Reid smiled uncertainly back.

All heads turned as Craig stood up, clanged his glass and declared, "May I have your attention, please?"

Margo rolled her eyes and groaned, "Oh, I knew he was gonna do something stupid."

Reid took advantage of the opportunity to change the subject and smiled at Luke, saying, "Oh now it's going to get good!"

Katie sidled up to Craig and whispered in his ear, "You realize you're jeopardizing your future ability to have children here?"

As Rosanna tried to cut off the toasts, and Margo suggested that it might be time for everyone to make their way to the food tent, Jack muttered, "I should have gotten rid of him earlier."

But after a few moments of hubbub, Craig concluded with: "If Carly and Jack can turn over a new leaf, so can I. Here are three words I thought I would never say - you belong together. You do. I doubted it. But I'm sure of it now. I wish you every happiness."

"Aww, see, true love wins out," Luke smiled smugly.

"Aww," Reid countered, "Where's the fun in that?"

At dinner, Reid found himself seated between Luke and Katie, unbeknownst to him, thanks to a little behind-the-scenes advanced lobbying by Luke. They were joined by Chris, Henry and Barbara, Aaron and Abigail.

Luke was happily catching up with Aaron and Abigail, so Reid turned to Katie and asked, "Isn't it weird to see your ex-husband married to someone else?"

"No, it was obvious that anyone fighting for Jack's heart would never have a chance," Katie replied.

"So you just gave up?" Reid asked.

"If we were meant to be, we would have survived," Katie said matter-of-factly. "Some things just aren't meant to be." She took a bite of Israeli couscous. "Besides, if I had stayed married to Jack, I never would have married Brad, and I wouldn't have Jacob."

Chris overheard the word "Brad" and frowned as he emphatically stabbed his Chilean sea bass, prompting Katie to quickly change the subject.

After dinner, Luke could tell Reid was nearing the limits of his socializing capacity, so he took his hand and they went for a stroll around the grounds. The sun was setting in the distance, turning the sky a delicate shade of pink and purple.

"Thanks for coming," Luke said.

"Did I have a choice," Reid asked.

"No," Luke laughed. "But you didn't fight quite so hard this time."

"I'm realizing it's part of the job description," Reid added.

"Job description?" asked Luke, confused.

"Luke Snyder's significant other," Reid replied.

"I see," Luke smiled seductively, "I'll have to reward you for fulfilling that part of your job at your next performance review."

They sat down on a tall flight of stone steps to watch the sunset. Reid put an arm around Luke's shoulder as he leaned his head against Reid's. They were sitting in silence when Parker and Liberty wandered by talking about his mysterious plans. When Carly and Jack wandered by and Carly asked, "What plans?" Reid turned to Luke and said, "Maybe today's not a total loss after all."

Luke and Reid remained on the steps, watching the scene play out before them, as the truth came out about Parker wanting to join the police force. A growing crowd gathered, variously in on the secret, or in the dark. Reid watched in amusement as sides were revealed, with Margo and Tom, Liberty, and Will chiming in to support Parker's decision, while Carly and Jack, Faith and Gwen stood gaping in surprise.

"This is better than cable," Reid whispered gleefully to Luke, who rolled his eyes. "But is the kid's nuts, throwing away his chance for a college education."

Luke flinched reflexively at the reference.

Jack sighed and said, "No offense to anybody. I just wanted so much more for you. I - I wanted you to go to M.I.T., Harvard."

Reid turned to Luke, "I knew Jack Snyder was a smart guy."

Parker replied, "But I wouldn't have been happy, because that's not what I want. I want to stay right here. And maybe - maybe if things work out, I'll end up just like you," prompting a group hug from Carly and Jack.

Luke turned triumphantly to Reid and gloated, "That's love, two; cynicism, nil."

Reid made a face back at him He spent the rest of the evening refusing to get out on the dance floor, and chatting with Holden, Jack, Katie, and even on occasion Henry, when the latter wasn't out burning a hole in the dance floor with Barbara.

Luke spent the car ride home explaining some of the intricacies of Oakdale's family trees. Reid was particularly curious about Hal Munson, whose name he hadn't heard previously. Luke explained that Parker was the product of Carly's marriage to Hal, and that Hal had a second son - Adam - with Margo. He added that Hal had been married to Barbara and Emily (who, by the way, had also been married to Casey and Holden).

"You know, Luke," Reid said, unlocking the front door. "You're not exactly making a case for love everlasting."

"What I know, " said Luke, "Is that we just spent a really nice day watching a lot of people I care about being really happy. And I know you didn't have such an awful time as you'd like me to believe, because you didn't ask to leave early even once."

Reid was surprised to recognize that Luke was indeed right. Though the wedding wasn't among the list of top 200 ways he would have chosen to spend the day, it probably wasn't on the bottom 200 either.

"So, Dr. Oliver," Luke continued, "I'm just going to embrace love in the here and now...With hope for love everlasting. And with that happy thought, I'm going to sleep. Unless you'd like to give me something else to embrace." Luke smiled suggestively and tossed his jacket and tie on the living room couch as he headed to the bedroom.

Later that evening, long after Luke had dozed off, with Reid's arms wrapped around him, Reid finally fell asleep to the sound of Luke's voice in his head: _That's love two; cynicism zip. I'm just going to embrace love in the here and now...With hope for love everlasting. _Reid's dreams were filled with visions of Luke in a light charcoal gray suit, standing in front of family and friends, the sunlight reflecting off his summer-lightened blonde hair. Dream-Luke turned to take Reid's hands with a smile, but then Dream-Reid's face blurred into that of a faceless stranger and a disembodied Reid watched as Luke began to speak his vows to the unnamed other man.

Reid awoke in the dark, his arms still around Luke's sleeping body. As he listened to the quiet rhythm of Luke's breathing, Reid heard Luke's voice echoing in his head: _I'm only getting married once and when I do, it's gonna stick._

**

* * *

**

A slice of toast, herbal tea, caramel latte and jumbo cranberry muffin later, and Katie was on her way home to put Jacob down for his nap. Reid responded to Katie's parting words, "I hope Luke's not disappointed" with "He knows I'm not the marrying type!" though he was certainly feeling less certain than he had the previous evening.

Since he couldn't retract the engraved gift order, the best he could do was wait to see how Luke responded.

When Luke texted Tuesday evening that he was headed out to the movies, Reid was grateful for the various meetings he had that night to keep his mind preoccupied, and not thinking about Luke's potential reaction.

Wednesday morning went glacially slowly, with routine paperwork and a morning staff meeting occupying his time, though the routine discussions barely making inroads in terms of mindshare. By lunchtime Reid was nervously awaiting word about whether his gift had arrived, and if so Luke's reaction.

"What were you thinking?" wasn't exactly the response he was going for, though in hindsight, Reid wasn't sure what he expected Luke to think.

His conversation with Katie weighed heavily on his mind as he alternately dreaded and looked forward to returning Luke's call. When he finally finished rounds a few hours later, he pulled out a bag of Oreos, downed several while chugging a pint of milk, and gave himself a brief pep-talk before picking up the phone to call.

Reid drummed his fingers on his desk as the phone rang and rang. After four rings, Reid worried he'd have to leave a voicemail, but another ring-and-a-half later, a familiar voice came on the line.

"Hey, stranger!" Luke answered, sounding cheerful, Reid thought.

* * *

_**A/N: **__Okay, seriously. How many of you really believed it was a ring? (I know many of us wanted it to be one!)_

_With apologies to Cathy on Reid Oliver FB – I swear I'd written the Hubbard Squash hazing scene before I read it on FB. I also had actually had in my notes for this chapter that Luke would be trying out name variations – __Luke and Reid Snyder? Luke and Reid Oliver Snyder? Luke and Reid Oliver? Luke and Reid Snyder Oliver? – but then THAT scenario came up on Facebook as well! Arghhh! __This is why I don't read fanfics!_ (_If someone else has already written about a silver spoon, I apologize - I swear I didn't steal that idea!)_


	30. You Sure?

**Chapter 30: You sure?**

"Hi, yourself," Reid replied.

"How'd ya know? I always wanted one," Luke joked. He immediately forgot the entire contents of the report Marcus had asked him to respond to, pushed the laptop aside, and flopped back onto the bed to talk.

"Glad to hear it, 'cause I don't think I can return it." Reid replied, hoping to sound unconcerned, but unquestionably relieved.

"You wouldn't dare," Luke warned. "Would you believe I actually don't own a silver spoon?"

"What'd the store run out?"

"Har har," Luke replied. "What on earth possessed you to do it?" he added, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Reid thought back to the long day on Monday and settled on, "I guess I was just thinking of you, and us, the other night," then added, "You know, of the first time we met."

"Aww..." Luke smiled.

"We've come a long way since then," Reid added.

"You couldn't stand me…" Luke started.

"_You_ had just kidnapped me and dragged me away from a full slate of patient appointments," Reid retorted.

"Oh yeah, well, I guess I did," Luke replied, smiling sheepishly. "But y'know, they all came through with flying colors, thanks to the world's greatest neurosurgeon, so I don't regret it for a minute."

"You were a lucky son-of-a-bitch," Reid teased.

"You, on the other hand, were an arrogant, self-proclaimed savior of mankind," Luke reminded him.

"Well, maybe I was a little…" Reid started.

"Maybe, my ass!" Luke declared. "You were unquestionably the rudest, most insufferable, big-headed –"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Reid replied, "You've made your point. But don't you think people change – sometimes even for the better?" Reid had long ago reluctantly concluded that Katie was right, and he hoped Luke had as well.

Luke's attitude softened. "Yeah, I guess so. I guess we've both changed. For the better. I mean, when you and I first met, you weren't exactly the easiest person to get along with…"

"You've made that point already," Reid interrupted.

"And even when we started dating, if you could call it that, you still worked all the time. The only time I had you to myself was…well, was a few nights here and there…not that those were bad nights." Luke raised his eyebrows suggestively, even though there was no one there to see.

Reid remembered their first few awkward attempts at dates late in the summer. "Yeah. I can't believe how hard it was to get you alone! It seemed like something was always interrupting. Like that time we were trying to have dinner at Metro and Doogie showed up with that list of all the union demands?"

"Oh god, that was awful," Luke agreed. "It took you like, all night to go through them. I thought you were going to have to go home with Chris instead of me! I'm so glad that's _his _problem now."

"No argument from me on that one," Reid agreed.

"What about that time Katie paged you at Yo's because she couldn't find anyone to watch Jacob?" Luke asked. "You had just leaned forward and were about to — "

"Dammit, what was I thinking when I gave her my pager number?" Reid chuckled.

Luke laughed along with him and added, "But the worst date-downer definitely had to be that night we rented the _Night at the Museum_ sequel and —"

Reid interrupted, laughing, "Oh, god, that movie _sucked! _But that wasn't nearly as bad as —"

Luke completed the thought for him, "As when Faith showed up a few hours later?" Luke rolled his eyes and added, "While we were in bed. Well, we were asleep by then, but you know, um…" Luke started to blush at the recollection.

"Oh trust me, I know," Reid smiled. "You look pretty hot in a sheet. "

"Reid!" Luke laughed, blushing harder as he remembered the occasion.

It had been just after midnight when the doorbell rang.

"I need to see Luke," Faith told Reid, who answered the door in just a pair of striped pajama bottoms. Reid was about to read her the riot act, but then seeing her tear-stained face, he quietly invited her in, reminding her to keep it down so she didn't wake Jacob. "I'll go get him," he said.

He softly padded into the bedroom and sat down on Luke's side of the bed. He placed a soft kiss on Luke's forehead, bringing a smile to his face. "Luke," he whispered.

"Mmmmm," Luke purred, pulling the covers over him closely. "More, please," he mumbled, more asleep than awake.

"Luke," Reid repeated quietly, gently shaking his shoulder, "Wake up."

Luke looked around in the darkness trying to get his bearings. "What time is it?"

"Just after midnight," Reid replied.

"What's going on?" asked Luke. "Are you going in to the hospital?"

Reid shook his head. Luke's eyes were beginning to clear and he noticed the worried expression on Reid's face. "Oh my god. What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Reid replied, "But Faith's here, and she's been crying."

"Is it mom and dad again? Is someone hurt?" Luke asked, sitting bolt upright and yanking the sheet out to wrap around his waist.

"I dunno," Reid said, "You'd better ask her."

Luke waddled out, stumbling on the edges of the long sheet. Faith was aware that Luke had started spending the night at Reid's, but blushed nevertheless when she saw her mostly naked brother, realizing that she'd walked in at a rather inconvenient time.

"Oh, shit!" she stammered, "I'm so sorry, Luke. I shouldn't have bothered you here. I, um, I'll just let myself out." She picked up a tissue to blow her nose and started to edge back towards the front door.

Reid tilted his head towards Faith and Luke continued to make his way towards her. "No, Faith, don't go," he said. "Something's obviously wrong. Stay."

"I'll just go make some tea, or warm milk, or something, for you guys," Reid offered, taking the opportunity to make himself scarce.

"What happened?" Luke asked. "Is it mom and dad again?"

"I wish!" Faith wailed, starting to bawl into her hands.

Luke shushed her gently and put a comforting arm around her shoulder, uncomfortably conscious that the air conditioning was making his still slightly sweaty torso rather cold and clammy. "Tell me, then," he said softly. "What's wrong?"

"Everything!" Faith bemoaned again, sobbing on his shoulder.

By this time, Katie had been awakened by the commotion and stumbled out of her bedroom wearing her navy satin robe and bunny slippers. She looked quizzically at Luke sitting on the couch, wearing only a clearly hastily-draped sheet, then at Faith, before she saw Reid sticking his head out of the kitchen, motioning for her to join him.

Katie mouthed, "What's going on?" and Reid replied with a shrug. Katie paused briefly to pick up one of Jacob's blankets off the floor, wrapping it around Luke's shoulders, before joining Reid in the kitchen.

"When did Faith get here?" Luke and Faith could hear Katie whisper to Reid.

"Okay," Luke said, "You just tell me when you're ready." And he held her in his arms until her tears had subsided enough for her to talk.

"I fucked up," she finally said.

"So what's new?" Luke asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Thanks a lot!" exclaimed Faith, insulted. "Just call me a fuck-up, why don't you? I don't know why I came here!"

"Okay! Sorry," Luke hastily injected. "I was just kidding! I mean, look at our whole family. We've all fucked up. It was probably just your turn." He tried giving her a lopsided grin.

Faith was torn between being indignant and really needing to talk to Luke. Finally her desperation won out.

"I really, really fucked up this time," Faith moaned.

"I'll be the judge of that," Luke said.

"I had sex," she blurted out.

"I'm not sure that was the smartest thing in the world to do," Luke replied uncertainly, "But I'm not sure I'd call that a fuck-up."

"You don't understand," Faith retorted.

"Okay," Luke said calmly. "Try me. Didn't you and Parker talk about it beforehand so you'd know what to expect?"

"It wasn't Parker," Faith lamented, once again bursting into tears.

Luke, who was a bit stunned by this turn of events paused for a moment before gathering his wits about him to respond. "So, um, who was it?"

"Just some random guy. Some random, stupid, stupid guy!"

Luke became concern, "He didn't force himself on you, did he?"

"No," Faith moaned, crossing her arms firmly in front of her and stifling a sob. "I went along with it."

"Does this random guy have a name?" asked Luke, not quite convinced.

"Bobby," muttered Faith without looking up. "Bobby Ryan."

"Sorry, Faith," Luke said. "You've lost me. Who the hell is Bobby Ryan and why did you sleep with him?"

"I dunno!" Faith wailed prompting an echo response from the direction of Jacob's crib.

"That would be my cue," said Katie, grabbing her mug of tea and carrying it back into her bedroom. "'Night, Luke. Hope you're okay, Faith."

Luke waved inattentively and returned his attention to Faith."You don't know?" Luke asked incredulously. Then truly not understanding, added, "I don't get it."

"Parker kept talking about waiting, and then I saw him at the library with stupid Ellen West. And then Bobby came over and asked me if I wanted to hang, so I said 'sure.' 'Cause I wanted to make sure Parker saw me leave with him," Faith related.

"Okay," Luke said, prompting her to continue. "So how'd we get from 'just hanging' to…."

"So we went over to his older brother's place. Apparently he and his girlfriend are away for the week, so we had the place to ourselves. It was fun, you know? We played some video games, and they had a six-pack in the fridge, and —"

"You _drank_," Luke said. "You weren't drunk were you?"

"No!" Faith retorted. Luke raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Well, maybe just a little."

"And the next thing I know we're making out and then…"

"You used a condom, didn't you, Faith?" Luke asked, concerned.

"How stupid do you think I am, Luke?" Faith replied, indignantly.

Given the circumstances, Luke wasn't quite sure how to respond. He caught Reid's eye across the room and shrugged his shoulders.

"The fucking condom broke, Luke. It broke!" Faith shouted, sobbing into Luke's shoulder, prompting another set of marching wails from Jacob's room.

"What do I do, Luke?" she asked, panicking, "What do I do?"

"I'm not sure," Luke said. "I don't really have a lot of experience in this area. Let me talk to Reid…."

"No!" Faith cried, "You can't tell anyone! Besides he's not gonna have any more experience than you do! Not to mention he'll probably just tell me I'm an idiot."

"Faith," Luke reminded her, "Reid's a doctor. He'll know what to do."

"Oh," Faith conceded. "You're sure he won't call me an idiot? I feel shitty enough as it is."

"Don't worry, Faith. I'll be right back," Luke said, giving her a pat on the head. He awkwardly tripped over the edges of his unwieldy makeshift garment as he stumbled into the kitchen to speak with Reid.

"Did you catch all that?" Luke whispered.

"Who didn't?" Reid replied. "I think your parents probably heard her."

"My parents are in Wisconsin for the weekend," Luke tossed back.

"They could've heard her in Greenland, never mind Green Bay," Reid replied.

"Are you gonna help her or what?" Luke asked, getting impatient.

"All right," said Reid, taking charge and dropping the sarcasm. "Don't worry, Luke, I'll take care of it." Luke took his place by Faith's side again, putting an arm around her shoulder and then watching as Reid made his way back into the living room, picked up his briefcase, and pulled out a script pad.

Reid sat down across from Faith and Luke and spoke calmly to the tearful girl, "I need you to talk to me, Faith. Not because I want to know all the gory details about what happened, because Lord knows I really don't want to know. But I need you to be honest with me or I can't help you. Do you understand?"

Faith nodded sullenly.

"How long ago was it that you had intercourse?"

Faith winced at the clinical term. "About an hour?" she said, "Maybe two?"

"Okay," said Reid. "That's not too bad. And do you have any allergies?"

Faith shook her head.

"Any liver problems?"

Faith shook her head again and looked at Faith, who nodded at her to continue.

"Are you taking the Pill or any other form of pharmaceutical birth control?"

Faith shook her head again.

"Have you ever been pregnant before?"

Faith's lower lip trembled before a fresh round of tears began to fall. "No," she said. "Definitely no. This was my first time."

Reid and Luke exchanged sympathetic glances.

"Okay, Faith," Reid said. "Here's what I need you to do. I'm gonna write you a prescription for a morning-after pill. That's really a misnomer because it can be effective for up to 72 hours after unprotected intercourse; some are even effective after five days. But the sooner you start the course of treatment, the better. Are you okay with that?"

Faith nodded.

"Luke can help you get it filled at the all-night pharmacy when he drives you home," Reid continued. "The pharmacist will want to review this with you too, and if he or she has any questions for you, you should answer them honestly and completely, even if you're embarrassed. If you're not sure comfortable and you feel a question is not appropriate, let Luke be your reality check. You okay with that?"

Reid looked at Luke this time as well as Faith when he paused this time, and they both dutifully nodded in reply.

"You should plan to take the first dose as soon as you get home. Have you had anything to eat recently?"

Faith shook her head. "Not since this afternoon – unless a beer counts?"

Reid gave her a glare that said, "Not funny," and shook his head before turning to Luke, "You'll need to make sure she has something to eat as soon as she gets home, or she may experience some nausea." Then turning back to Faith, "You should take the second dose 12 hours later or as close to it as possible. In the unlikely event you actually vomit, you should take the second dose and call me and I'll call in a prescription to replace the lost one. Is anyone else home tonight?"

Faith shook her head. "Natalie and Ethan are at Grandma's, and mom and dad are in Racine."

Reid turned to Luke, "Then you should stay with her. She shouldn't be alone. She'll be fine medically, but she could probably use a friendly face."

Faith looked at Luke in his sheet and Reid in his pajama bottoms, blushed and apologized again, "Oh Luke, I'm so sorry to drag you into this!"

"Don't worry, Faith, that's what big brothers are for," Luke smiled. Then he turned to Reid and asked, "Is it risky?"

"Not at all," Reid reassured them. "But she may experience some minor discomfort." He addressed the specifics to Faith: "The pharma companies have done a great job coming up with formulations that minimize side effects, but you may experience minor headaches, nausea, or painful breasts. When your period comes, it may be a little early or late, and it could be heavier than usual. But if it's more than a week late, you should make an appointment to see a gynecologist."

"You mean it might not work?" Faith asked in a panic.

"Don't worry," Reid said. "Post-coital pills are about 98% effective these days. And you're well within the window of optimal effectiveness. Just follow the instructions and you should be fine. And not pregnant."

"Will you be okay here for a few minutes while I get dressed?" Luke asked Faith.

Faith nodded.

Once alone, Reid looked uncomfortably at Faith and then mumbled something about having to put dishes away in the kitchen.

"Um, Reid," Faith called out.

"Mmm," Reid murmured, turning around.

"Thanks," she said. "Y'know, for being so cool about all this."

Without turning around, Reid uncomfortably nodded his acknowledgment and called over his shoulder, "Just make sure you follow the directions."

Luke emerged a few minutes later dressed in his jeans and T-shirt, scooped his keys off the hall table, and pulled on his shoes.

Before he left, Luke made his way over to the kitchen table, where Reid sat drinking decaf tea and flipping through one of Katie's fashion magazines, hoping the mind-numbing drivel would accelerate the onset of sleep.

"Thank you," Luke said, placing a grateful kiss on Reid's cheek before he departed. "See you tomorrow —" then stopped himself, glanced at his watch and finished the thought, "Tonight?"

Reid nodded, motioning for them to get going.

**

* * *

**

"Well," said Luke, "I, for one, am glad I no longer need to share my brilliant boyfriend with so many other demands. 'Cause you know, Dr. Oliver, you're not so bad once you get to know you."

"I don't want people to know me," Reid insisted. "Well, excepting the present company."

"Awww," said Luke. Then he paused quizzically and asked, "Why me?"

"Oh, god," Reid replied in surprise. "That's not a fair question to spring on a guy with no warning."

"Oh, sorry," Luke apologized, though slightly taken aback.

Reid could hear the insecurity in Luke's voice and tried to make light of things. "If it's so easy to answer, then what's your story? You're the one living with the, what was it again? Oh yeah, the 'arrogant, self-proclaimed savior of mankind…"

"_Apparently _arrogant," Luke corrected.

"Who are _you_ kidding?" Reid asked with a chuckle.

"I don't need to kid anyone," Luke insisted. "You're just not the big jerk you pretend to be."

"Says who?" challenged Reid.

"Says me," Luke answered. "And I think I know you better than just about anyone. Maybe even you."

"Oh, now look who's being arrogant?" Reid teased.

"Oh, c'mon," Luke chided. "If you were as totally in love with yourself as you were when you arrived in Oak_hay_, you never would have gotten your head far enough out of your ass to even acknowledge my existence, much less trouble yourself to buy me an Amazon gift card. I bet your assistant bought all your gifts for you in Dallas, right?"

Reid grunted neutrally, to avoid giving the Luke the satisfaction of knowing he was right.

"And Reid Oliver, Uberjerk would never have even _deigned_ to give Madeline Coleman the time of day, never mind actually listening to her! And _that _Reid Oliver would never have taken Katie's advice ('cause I bet you my whole trust fund that she reminded you more than a few times to think about Christmas gifts), and then put it all together and gotten on the phone to buy a plane ticket to Iowa."

"I bought it online," Reid clarified.

"Whatever," Luke brushed off the interruption. "If that Reid Oliver bought me a silver spoon, he would have probably have made sure I had a venti decaf hydrochloric acid chaser, just in case the spoon didn't do its job properly."

"Actually, hydrofluoric acid would be a better choice as it's far more toxic and hydrochloric acid is actually a component of the stomach acid in human beings," Reid recited.

There was a momentary silence before they both burst out laughing.

"Well, at any rate, it's not the most conventional anniversary gift," Luke replied. "But, then again, I suppose, we're not the most conventional couple. So it kinda feels right – it's us, I guess."

_Anniversary.__ Did I really buy an anniversary gift?_ Reid hadn't really thought of it as an anniversary gift. Intellectually, he recognized that he had been prompted to buy it when remembering first meeting Luke a year ago. Three hundred sixty-five days. Three hundred and sixty-five topsy-turvy, mostly-formerly angsty, more-than-occasionally exasperating, frequently playful, and increasingly contented days.

_But an anniversary? _Anniversaries were for married people, or for drippy teenagers who celebrated the anniversary of their first kiss and their first date, as well as the first time they passed notes in homeroom and the first time their braces got stuck together. Reid Oliver didn't celebrate anniversaries, though technically, he could see how Luke would see it as an anniversary gift. But Reid couldn't help but be pleased by Luke's conclusion: _It kinda feels right. It's us. _And he was inclined to agree.

Emboldened by Luke's stamp of approval, Reid he finally managed to get over his initial surprise at the "anniversary" reference and gathered his thoughts enough to say, "Katie thought you might be disappointed."

"Disappointed?" Luke replied reflexively, not sure why Reid had asked, but before he had time to really process Reid's statement.

As he heard himself speaking, he wondered if Reid could somehow read his mind, or if they were indeed so connected that Reid could sense his innermost feelings over the phone – feelings he wasn't even ready to admit to himself – that even as thrilled as he was by Reid's unexpected surprise, a part of him was indeed, somehow disappointed.

"Yeah," Reid said. "She was sure that you would know that it came from a Boston jeweler and would be trolling for bling. Can you believe that?"

"She did, did she?" Luke asked, still uncertain where Reid was heading.

"But I told her you weren't that kind of rich kid; probably wouldn't even recognize the name…" Reid continued.

"Thanks, I didn't," Luke replied, conveniently leaving out the fact that Bradley was all too willing to fill in that blank for him, prompting fifteen minutes of wild and unanticipated speculation.

"See, I told her!" Reid smiled triumphantly while Luke fiddled with the folds of his bedspread. "Plus, I pointed out to Miss Busybody that you don't even wear jewelry," Reid said, leaving out the particular item of jewelry that had Katie's panties tied in a knot.

"Um, sure," Luke answered. Reid thought that Luke sounded surprisingly unconvincing and briefly thought about asking. But then a little voice in his head reminded him that if Luke hadn't been worried about a ring, and he asked about it, then Luke would think that _he_, Reid, was thinking about them. So he kept quiet.

Luke thought he heard Reid take in a breath, as if he were going to ask a follow-up question, but when none was forthcoming, he decided it was time for a change of topic. Their relationships had finally been chugging along on an even keel for the last couple of months; the last thing he wanted to do was to have Reid freak out because he was even thinking about _that kind _of ring. Since Luke had moved in and they'g cleared the air, Reid really seemed to have finally gained some comfort with Noah's place in Luke's life. But Reid had also made it clear that he was a long way from being ready for a commitment like marriage, so Luke reminded himself that it was his turn to be patient.

"So, yeah, um," Luke started, buying himself time. "Speaking of Katie – what were you doing at WOAK on a weekday?"

Reid momentarily felt like a prison escapee caught in the search spotlight, surprised to hear that Luke knew he'd been to the studio; he responded in knee jerk fashion: "How did you know that?"

Unable to see the guilty look on Reid's face, Luke replied without missing a beat, "Katie's assistant Tina told me. She mentioned something about seeing you in the studio when she emailed me a photo."

"Oh yeah," Reid replied, "Right. The photo. Um, that's kinda why I was at the studio, too."

"Really?" Luke asked, surprised at the coincident, but glad to hear Reid liked the photo as much as he did.

"Yeah, um," Reid said, stumbling a bit himself. "Katie arranged for the WOAK art department to do up a nice framed version for us," Reid explained, conveniently leaving out what actually prompted his visit in the first place. And also omitting the fact that his assistant had cleared his calendar under duress, he added, "Plus she's been bugging me for months to come watch a taping, so I had a free afternoon and, uh, thought I'd make her day." In truth, Katie had indeed been bugging him for months, but he hadn't actually ever planned on taking her up on the offer.

"Aw, that's so nice!" Luke replied cheerfully. "That sounds almost...human! Could it be that you are actually making an effort to _bond_ with Katie?" Reid silently groaned to himself – if only Luke knew just how _human_ the whole afternoon had been. Between himself and Katie, they'd probably run through just about every possible human response – from grief and jealousy, to empathy, kindness, friendship, and love.

"So we have a copy at home now, too?" Luke asked, grinning, and interrupting Reid's thoughts.

"That we do," Reid confirmed; he could almost hear Luke smiling on the other end of the phone; the thought brought a smile to his own face as well as he took a peek at the copy of the photo he'd made into his own laptop background.

After an awkward pause, they both jumped in at the same time.

"So, what's new?" "So what else have you been up to since Saturday?"

Then both, "You first." "You go ahead."

Reid ran through his update, starting with Sunday at the Hugheses, the miserable day of football, the surgery pinch hit, his weekly lunch with Bob, and the return to normalcy with the morning's surgery – though again glossing over his lengthy visit with Katie at the studios

Luke peppered him with questions about his day at Tom and Margo's, laughing out loud at Reid's response to the plethora of soy-based faux foods, reminding him, "You know Tom has a bad heart" to which Reid replied, "Margo's cooking is going to kill him before that heart has a chance to do any real damage!"

Although Reid's description of the day started out as mostly simple, short declarative sentences, with Luke's writerly questioning, his recounting gradually became more vivid. Luke found himself enjoying listening to Reid's voice as he freed up and became more "chatty" (well, chatty for Reid), and particularly enjoyed Reid's descriptions of Chris's white-boy, stiff-hips and spare-tire rendition of the victory dance.

By the time Reid had finished, and asked "So, how 'bout you?" Luke was a bit surprised to realize that Reid hadn't asked anything yet about Noah. _Is he waiting for me to bring him up? There's no way _I'm _going to bring up Noah._

Luke went on to explain about his phone dying, and his day shopping with Tessa and how she had spent all night helping to set up his phone, and then the trip to the movies (along with the full play-by-play recap of a movie he was sure Reid would never voluntarily go see), conveniently leaving out the part about his ill-fated trip to the gym and the ensuing lactic acid build-up that ensured he still had to get most of his work done in bed with a pillow under his knees and two more propping him upright as he typed.

"Who's Tessa?" Reid asked.

Luke sighed melodramatically to make sure Reid could infer the heavy eye-rolling he couldn't see. "Reid!" Luke chided. "You haven't been paying attention again, have you?" Reid declined to answer, refusing to give Luke the satisfaction of being right.

"Remember?" Luke asked rhetorically, sure that Reid did not, indeed, remember. "Tessa and Trevor are from my writing class. They're the two I've really hit it off with. I think I've only mentioned them, like, in...oh, just about every conversation we've had since I arrived in Iowa."

"Yeah, right," Reid parroted. "Tessa and Trevor. Writers, got it." He decided he could probably devote a small corner of his infinite capacity for memorizing medical facts to remembering the two names. _Tessa and Trevor, Tessa and Trevor, Tessa and Trevor_, he repeated to himself, trying to commit them to memory.

"And Tessa's the one who wants to be a travel writer – she's been an awesome friend – totally on my case. You'd like her," Luke continued. Reid wasn't so sure. "And Trevor is an aspiring novelist – he wants to write spy novels," Luke reminded Reid.

"Roger, wilco. Travel writer. Mystery novelist," Reid confirmed, having only partially heard the part about spy novels as he was muttering to himself about having to remember anything about Tessie and Trevor in the first place.

"_Spy_ novelist," Luke prompted. "Trevor wants to write _spy_ novels. Tessa wants to be a travel writer."

_Dammit,_ Reid thought. _TessA, travel writer. Trevor, spy novelist. What's the fuck's the use of having a photographic memory when you're trying to remember useless facts about two people you don't know? Memorizing the periodic table was easier than this._

"Gotcha," Reid mumbled with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.

"I think Trevor has a thing for Tessa," Luke added.

"Mmmmm?" Reid asked, only half-listening again.

"Yeah, but there's more: he thought Tessa and I had hooked up," Luke laughed. The mention of Tessa and Luke hooking up caught Reid's attention. "So, get this," Luke said, clearly proud of his deception. "I told Trevor that Tessa was _great_ in bed." Reid, who had unwrapped a a large turkey and pastrami sandwich to munch on while Luke related his adventures, spluttered and then gagged on his next oversized bite and ended up coughing vigorously, trying to catch his breath.

"Reid!" Luke yelled in alarm. "Reid? Are you okay?"

"Mmmumf," Reid managed between coughs. "Hang on...need water." Reid grabbed a root beer out of the mini fridge in his office and chugged it down as quickly as the fizzy beverage would allow. The sugar burned in his throat, but eventually, the coughing tapered enough for him to squeak out, "Okay. I'm alive."

"Can you imagine that?" Luke asked. "Talk about ridiculous!"

Reid took advantage of his recent choking to reply with just an "Umf." Cough. _Yup. Ridiculous. Who could possibly imagine that?_ Reid cynically thought to himself.

"I mean, really. Me? Unless you count Gina Weatherbee in second grade, the only girl I've ever kissed was Jade," Luke

"Isn't she your cousin?"

"Yeah, but I didn't think so at the time," Luke replied. "And, um, Zoe, I guess" Luke said, grimacing in disgust. "Or at least she kissed me."

"Wasn't she _also _your cousin?" Reid asked.

"Don't remind me," Luke confirmed. "She wanted to have my baby."

Even without knowing whether Zoe looked more like Jade or the lady with orange hair in the ring shop, Reid blanched at the vision of a faceless Zoe trying to coerce Luke into making a baby with her.

"Well, so anyways, we kind of didn't go out of our way to put Trevor out of his misery and led him along for a couple of days," Luke smiled mischievously. "It was a hoot."

"I'll bet," Reid replied, with as much sarcasm as he could muster. By the time Luke had finished gloating about the fast one they pulled on poor, ahem, Trevor, Reid had started to wonder why Luke still hadn't mentioned the outcome of his call with Noah. _Jessie-Tessie-Tessa must have passed along the message. And Luke is always super-good about returning calls, so he must have talked to Noah by now. What the hell was so important? Dammit, I am NOT going to ask about Noah._ "So, that's it?" Reid asked.

"Yeah, that's about it," said Luke, still wondering why Reid hadn't asked about Noah."Why?" _Wow, _thought Luke. _Maybe he really is over Noah and he's totally unconcerned. Finally! It's about freakin' time._

"Nothing, really," Reid replied, though curiosity was unquestionably getting the better of him. "Talk to anyone interesting lately?" he asked, adding, "You know, like Lily or Holden or…um, anyone."

"Why, should I have? asked Luke suspiciously. He had just spoken to Lily, but he couldn't imagine that news of that conversation could have spread so quickly. _Is Reid mind-reading again? Am I that obvious?_

"No, no," Reid replied innocently. "Nothing in particular. Just wonderin'."

"Oh, but that reminds me," Luke added. "Don't make any plans for the weekend after I get back."

"Haven't you been reminding me for months now not to forget the Foundation fundraiser?" Reid asked. "I've practically had it tattooed on my wrist since November."

"Good boy," Luke chuckled, mock patronizingly. "Not _that_ weekend. The weekend after it."

"The weekend after?" Reid asked. "Why?"

"Just don't make any plans," Luke insisted.

"Why?" Reid asked getting increasingly suspicious. "You're not gonna make me drive to Carbondale to go to some lame SuperBowl party at Gwen and Will's are you?"

"No," Luke replied coyly.

"JC and Miss Stewart's?"

"Casey's," Luke corrected, laughing. "And, no."

"Oh, shit, Luke," Reid uttered, with a bit of panic. "You're not planning on _hosting_ a SuperBowl party are you?"

Now Luke was really laughing. In most years, that would be been a spot-on guess. With nearly three months of settling in time under his belt, he would have loved nothing more than to invite all his friends to his new home. But not this year. Not after being away for four weeks. "Give it up and quit worrying," Luke said bemusedly.

"You know I hate surprises," Reid cautioned.

"Oh, don't be such a buzzkill," Luke replied. "And don't make any plans."

Reid made a grumbling noise that resembled the muttering of a Hanna-Barbera villain, just before uttering, "Curses, foiled again!"

It finally occurred to him, though, that it was possible Luke hadn't even gotten the message he left. And Noah did say it was "important." It would only be responsible to make sure that Luke had actually gotten the message. "By the way, did you get the message I left the other morning?" he asked, warily.

"Which one," asked Luke.

"There was only one," Reid replied, waiting for Luke to say the dreaded "N" word.

Luke was sure there had only been one message. And it was nice of Reid to confirm he'd gotten it. But he was still reluctant to be the one to bring Noah into the conversation. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized he could dance around the issue for hours, answering questions with more questions, like on that Drew Carey improv show, saying anything but that simple four-letter word, "Noah." Luke finally gave in: "You mean, the one about Noah?"

"Yeah," said Reid, relieved to get it out in the open. "I left it with whats-her-name."

"Tessa," Luke replied. "And yes, I got it."

There was an awkward pause as Reid waited for Luke to say more, and Luke purposefully avoided doing so.

"And?" asked Reid, unable to resist.

"You really wanna know?" Luke asked.

"Why, would I prefer _not _to know?" Reid wondered.

"I dunno," Luke answered. "Only you can be the judge of that."

"I guess that's fair," Reid replied. "Try me."

"Noah had a film accepted in some special student category at Sundance," Luke said, doing his best to minimize the pride in his voice.

"Really?" Reid said in surprise. "Already?"

"Reid," Luke said, "I told you he was the best."

"I thought you were just puffing up his ego," Reid said.

"Yeah," Luke laughed, "Well, that, too. But he really _is_ pretty good."

"So he called just to say he won?" Reid asked.

"No," Luke started, mentally bracing himself for the likely response. "He actually called to invite me to the Festival movie premiere."

Before he could stop himself, Reid's snark kicked in: "Mr. Mayer needed a date? He couldn't find anyone else to hold his hand and pose with him on the red carpet?"

"Reid!" Luke groaned. "I thought we were past this."

"We are," Reid replied, thoroughly admonished. "It just slipped out. Sorry."

"Apology accepted," Luke replied tersely.

"So if he doesn't need a date, then, why you?" Reid asked. "What was so important?"

"Well, because he wanted me to be there for the press conference." Luke said.

"The press conference?" Reid parroted. "Why?"

Luke took a deep breath before replying. "Because apparently the film is about us." When there was silence on the other end of the line, Luke clarified, "Him and me."

"Duh," Reid muttered, rolling his eyes. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"Apparently you're involved somehow, too. Noah asked if you wanted to come along," Luke continued. Reid was mid-way through another major eye-roll when Luke finished and his eyebrows involuntarily detoured into a surprised frown as he processed Noah's invitation. "His almost-agent thought it would be good PR for me to go out there. Something about letting the press see his _inspiration_ and how that might help the film get distribution." Luke hoped he was coming across as clinical, rather than sentimental, as he certainly didn't feel very inspirational, especially given the segue from his relationship with Noah, to his relationship with Reid.

"So you're going to Colorado?" Reid hoped he sounded unconcerned, but his voice cracked almost imperceptibly, despite his best efforts.

"Utah," corrected Luke.

"Whatever."

"And the answer is, 'no.'" Luke said. "I told him that can't just drop everything to be part of his dog and pony show."

"You said that?" Reid asked, not quite believing his ears.

"Mm hmm," Luke replied, matter-of-factly, inwardly pleased at finally having said 'no' to one of Noah's more demanding requests. "Besides, I told him I had plans."

"Didn't you just tell me to clear my calendar for some mystery event?" Reid asked. "Isn't that going to interfere with your plans?"

"You dope," Luke laughed. "Those _are _my plans."

"But how could they be plans since you didn't even tell _me_ about it until just now (not that you've really told me anything at all about it at all)?" Reid protested. "What if I'm busy?"

"Why? Do you have an out-of-town consult or something?" Luke asked warily.

"No, but…" Reid's head was starting to hurt. "Lemme see if I got this right: you really turned down a chance to go to Noah's first film premiere, at Sundance, no less, so that you can spend the weekend with me, even though we hadn't even talked about it yet?"

"Yeah, that's basically it," Luke confirmed. "Why do you sound so surprised? You're the one who wanted Noah out of our lives."

"Yeah, but you're the one who made it _abundantly_ clear that Noah Mayer would always be pretty special part of your life," Reid replied, then added, cautiously, "_Are you sure?_ I mean, Sundance is pretty prestigious, isn't it? This must be a big deal for him. If it means a lot to you, too, you should go." Reid winced_. Did I really just fucking say that?_

"Did you just suggest what I think you just suggested?" Luke asked incredulously, but beaming to himself nevertheless.

"I think I did," Reid acknowledged, equally surprised.

"Aw, you _do_ understand!" Luke replied warmly, "But I'm sure." Reid breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing that he'd been holding his breath for the last several moments.

"Why?" Reid asked.

"Well, I could tell you what I told him, which is that I really have no interest in reliving our relationship in front of the press," Luke started.

"I don't blame you."

"And that the timing is really bad, with me just getting back, and the Foundation fundraiser and everything," Luke continued.

Reid grunted in acknowledgment.

"But really, the main reason is that I just want to spend some quality time at home," Luke said. "No Iowa, no call, no shiny new surgical wing, no fundraisers. Just us."

"Come again?"

"Why do you still sound so surprised?" Luke asked. "It's only a week after I get back. Don't get me wrong – this retreat has been awesome, but when it's done? All I'm gonna want to do is spend time in my own house and sleep in my own bed…with my own man who I haven't seen for nearly three weeks already."

"Yeah," Reid replied. "I guess that does sound pretty hard to top." The mention of the word "bed" had him smiling conspiratorially to himself.

Luke smiled. "I don't know how these people who travel all the time do it."

"Yeah, things haven't quite been the same without you," Reid admitted.

"Yeah right," Luke laughed, "Lemme guess: there are no vegetables (other than tomatoes or iceberg lettuce) in the fridge; there are shirts 'hanging' on the back of the couch; the pile of laundry on your side of the room is knee deep and there's a bath towel currently leaving a large wet spot on my side of the bed."

Reid was perturbed that not only was Luke 100% right on all counts, but that he clearly sounded so smug about knowing he would be. "No comment," Reid finally replied. "I plead the Fifth."

They shared a short laugh as Luke could easily picture all of the above, and Reid could easily envision Luke doing so.

"Hey, by the way, Reid," Luke added. "I'm proud of you."

"For what?" Reid scowled.

"Well, except for that brief comment about holding hands on the red carpet, you didn't overreact," Luke smiled.

"Um, yeah, right," Reid agreed, hoping to sound convincing. "And, um, I guess I should say thanks, too."

"For what?"

"For not making Noah the first and longest topic of conversation," Reid admitted.

"Why would he be?" Luke asked. "I haven't talked to you in _days_. I was dying to know what_ you've_ been up to all this time! It's so nice to just hear your voice again."

"Yeah," Reid agreed. "And, um, happy anniversary, I guess."

"Why, Dr. Oliver. If you keep talking this way, you might just convince me you're really just a giant marshmallow underneath that crabby exterior."

"Don't let it get around," Reid warned.

"It can be our little secret," Luke replied, smiling to himself.

Reid glanced at his watch and realized he was due in a staff meeting in less than 10 minutes and he had only successfully swallowed two bites of his lunch.

"Hey, Luke," Reid started.

"Yeah?"

"As much as I'm enjoying this, I have a staff meeting in about eight minutes, and I haven't finished lunch yet."

"Oh, yikes!" Luke said apologetically. "I better let you go, then. Otherwise, I pity Chris Hughes if you don't get some food into you. Talk to you soon?"

"Definitely."

"I love you, Reid."

"I love you, too, Luke."

There was another brief silence as both waited for the other to be the first to hang up. Then, with neither of them hearing the tell-tale beep, each paused thoughtfully, before hanging up.

Allowing for the six minutes it took to the 7th floor and then the walk through the lab area to get to the conference room where the weekly staff meetings were held, Reid figured he had just barely enough time to wolf down the rest of his sandwich before hightailing it to the elevators.

He picked up his sandwich and stopped mid-bite. Tearing off a single large mouthful, he wrapped the sandwich up and tossed it in the fridge; he then pulled out his laptop, glanced at his calendar, and then quickly banged out an email to his assistant.

_Can you make sure my calendar is clear starting on Friday the 6__th__ at 1pm until Monday morning 8am? Move any non-urgent appointments to Thursday or the following week. Move anything that has to be on that Friday a few hours earlier during my meeting with Dr. Hughes. I'll deal with Chris. Swap my call shift with Bryant – he owes me one. Unless something life-threatening shows up, I need you to keep this weekend clear._

Then, as he took a large swig of root beer, imagining Luke hovering over his shoulder (as he had an annoying tendency to do when he was impatient to leave), Reid added, typing gingerly with the index finger of his left hand: _Thanks._


	31. Cake

_**A/N: **__Hi everyone! Thanks for your patience, and thanks for continuing to check in. I've finally had a few days to get organized and can confirm at least a dozen or more chapters! I'll post extended author's notes when I finish the remaining chapters that I think are part of this mini-arc. Hope the time changes aren't too hard to follow! Happy reading! -LL_

* * *

**Chapter 31: Cake**

After he finally convinced himself to hang up, Luke lay back on the bed, briefly staring at the picture on his cell phone.

Smiling to himself, he tried to concentrate on the evening's assignment: write your obituary and one for a person you love or despise. Alex's clarifications rang in his head – How old are you? How did you die? Who would survive you? Your parents? Your children? Where would donations be given? Are you a writer? What have you done with your life?

As happened so often, some answers came immediately to mind. But he was glaringly aware that after nearly three weeks, he still hadn't shared any of his writing with Reid, so Luke challenged himself, as he did frequently, to write around Reid.

Though Reid didn't press the issue, the lack of readable output had come up casually once or twice, and Luke did feel that he ought to share something of this part of his life with Reid, especially since it was Reid who had sent him to this retreat in the first place.

In truth, he really did want to share this part of him that had been both intensely private, and oddly public – the subject of endless class discussions and coffee bar dissections – but Reid's unavoidable presence in many pieces made it virtually impossible to find a piece that wouldn't make Reid's already enormous ego any bigger.

Worst were the daily short warm-up assignments. Not surprisingly, Reid immediately came to mind in the obvious exercises (write a short story based on your favorite song; if you had to choose between yesterday and tomorrow, which would you pick and why? if you could spend your birthday doing anything you wanted, what would it be and why?).

But more annoyingly, Luke found that Reid had an uncanny habit of showing up in less predictable assignments as well; consequently he found himself doing many of his assignments twice – once to play out the first idea that came to mind, and again to force some variety into his writing.

"Write about your least favorite present" morphed into a mental dissertation on his favorite (and most recent) present, which he was enjoying more day by day.

"You're standing outside a restaurant next to a phone booth when, suddenly, it rings. Your gut tells you not to answer it, but with each ring you can't resist. Finally you pick up the phone—and end up having the most amazing night of your life," somehow turned into an accelerated and sensationalized account of his first meeting by phone with Reid.

"You're a stand-up comedian having a good night on stage except for one loudmouth in the back of the crowd who keeps heckling you. As your set ends, you storm off stage to confront this person, only to discover it's (fill in the blank). Write this scene," somehow segued into a backstage dressing-room maelstrom of hurled insults followed by hair-pulling and haphazardly discarded clothing.

"You've been hired as a writer for _Late Show with David Letterman_. Your first assignment is to come up with a witty, non-political Top Ten list for him to read on air" prompted a list of favorite body parts starting with blue eyes, curly red hair, slender fingers, and ending with…

"Write about the only time you hosted Thanksgiving. Start with the line, 'For my first Thanksgiving as host, I bought the biggest turkey they had in the store,' and end your story with 'And that's why we all ate hamburgers'" had Luke silently in stitches for nearly 20 minutes as he imagined leaving Reid in charge of the turkey, and the potential ramifications of a Snyder Thanksgiving with no turkey.

"After years of leading a normal life, you discover you have a special ability. Afraid to share this information with anyone, you confide only in your closest friend. To your surprise, your friend shares some information with you—he also has a super power" prompted several hours of speculation into the most interesting combination of super powers for the two of them to have, several of which probably would have been suitable titles for low-budget porn-flicks.

Luke shook his head and laughed softly to himself. "You, Luke Snyder, have a _bad_ case of Doctor on the brain." He reached into his wastepaper basket and gently fished out the doodles he'd hastily tossed in when the phone rang, smoothed out the crumpled paper, and stared at the inscription: "LS&RO 4EVA." He weighed down the flattened scrap with the wooden box his spoon had arrived in, hoping to smooth it out.

Luke looked at the rumpled sheets on his bed and recalled how awkward he'd felt when Faith had shown up at the apartment. He hadn't thought about that night in months before it came up in the phone conversation, and looking back, he appreciated the perspective that Faith's predicament gave him on his own situation.

Faith had remained quiet during the entire ride to the pharmacy, staring out the window, her cardigan wrapped tightly around her waist. She listened attentively as the pharmacist repeated Reid's instructions, and then again sat silently during the car ride home.

When they arrived home, Luke tossed the prescription bag onto the coffee table, directed Faith to the couch and went into the kitchen. "You take it easy, and let me get some food into you first."

Faith dutifully settled herself on the couch, pulling a fleece blanket over her knees as Luke went to scrounge up some food. He returned with a glass of water, a bag of microwave popcorn, an empty bowl, and a shaker of brewer's yeast to sprinkle on top. Emptying the popcorn into the oversized bowl and sprinkling the yeast on top, he sat down on the couch and motioned for her to sit down next to him.

She gingerly set herself down scooted over next to him as he put his arm protectively around her shoulder. They munched in silence for the better part of a quarter-hour before Faith nervously sat up and reached for her glass of water and prescription.

"You sure you're ready?" asked Luke, not sure how else to help.

"I think so. And I'd better get started, like Reid said," she replied. Luke nodded sympathetically. Faith downed her first dose and sat back, almost as if waiting to see if she felt different. Luke watched anxiously for signs of nausea.

"Would you stop staring at me?" Faith complained. "I feel like a damned goldfish."

"Sorry!" Luke said, looking away.

Faith saw the horrified look on his face and instantly regretted lashing out at him. "No, Luke. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I was the jerk who dragged you away from your date. I should be thanking you, not making you feel like crap."

"It's part of the big brother job description," Luke said lightly, still not quite daring to look her way.

They sat again in silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

"How come you don't get into trouble like this?" she pouted.

Luke almost laughed out loud but then realized she was serious.

"I got tossed out of college," Luke reminded her. "I think I've got at least one up on you in the 'I fucked up worse than you did' contest."

"Yeah, but that doesn't seem to have stopped you."

"I dunno about that. I'm still a college drop-out who can't drink and is overbearing. I'm not sure I'm the one you should be taking life advice from," Luke said, averting his eyes.

"Really, Luke?" asked Faith, eyeing Luke as if he were a bit dense. "Have you taken a look at yourself lately?"

"Why?" asked Luke.

"Seriously, Luke?"

Luke's bewildered expression made it clear to Faith that she needed to clarify.

Faith tried again: "You used to hide behind those emo bangs and wore those awful, dorky striped polo shirts that mom bought at Sears." Luke rolled his eyes in acknowledgement. "Now look at you. You wear suits – or even better, those jacket/jean combos with the color-on-color shirts and ties like you see on those makeover shows. Pretty stylin', bro. And you're standing straighter. You smile, like, all the time. I can even see your eyes for once. If you weren't my brother I'd say you were pretty hot, but since you are, that kinda has a big-time 'ewww' factor."

Luke blushed as Faith continued, "If I had a quarter for every one of the lame girls at school lusted after you I wouldn't need to babysit anymore because I'd be loaded."

"You're exaggerating," Luke countered, blushing.

"Not by much," Faith said. "It must be nice to feel wanted."

Luke though of his last two years when Noah repeatedly pushed him away, instinctively recoiled a few inches towards fetal. Faith noticed the reflex and looked at him curiously.

"Oh, c'mon. You and Noah were inseparable for like three years, and then you barely had time to change the sheets before Reid came along. You've always been lucky."

Luke wasn't sure he'd exactly phrase things that way, and smiled ironically to himself. He and Noah — along with a little help from Holden, Lily, and Lucinda — had done their best to keep their troubles hidden from his siblings, but until this moment, Luke hadn't realized how well they'd carried off their charade.

"Everybody tells me about how all teenage boys think about is sex," lamented Faith. "So when Parker said he wanted to wait, all I could think about was 'What the hell is wrong with me?' He slept with Liberty. Why didn't he want _me?"_

Luke had lost count of the number of times he'd asked himself that same question: Noah didn't seem to hesitate to sleep with Maddie, yet getting to a point where he and Luke were able to share the same intimacy had been like pulling teeth. And then the endless stream of disruptions in their lives made repeat performances few and far between; their rarity certainly did nothing to dispel Luke's concerns about his skills as a lover.

"_Everybody_ has those feelings, Faith." Luke sighed.

"Yeah, but _you_ never fucked up like me and acted on those feelings," Faith moaned.

An image of an alcohol-induced kiss planted on Brian Wheatley on the streets of Old Town flashed before Luke's eyes. Though he desperately wanted to make Faith feel better, he wasn't too keen to share his own indiscretions. The family had also circled together to keep the details of Brian and Lucinda's annulment away from the younger Snyders. Right now, Faith needed a role model, and hearing that her brother kissed her step-grandfather wasn't going to help.

"When Bobby asked me to his brother's place, I felt wanted.…All I wanted to do, Luke, was to feel good about myself. And now, look at me. I feel like shit," Faith continued, without waiting the empathy she was sure Luke couldn't offer. "Maybe it's genetic," she added, hoping to find an explanation.

"What do you mean?" asked Luke.

"Well, look at mom. She slept with Damian when she thought dad was dead. He'd barely been gone for a few weeks!"

Luke had to admit he agreed with her on that one. But he also knew that Damian exerted an inexplicable hold on his mother. Plus, Lily and Faith's relationship was only recently repaired and still frail, so he didn't want to risk creating a new rift by taking sides.

"I dunno. Damian can be very convincing," Luke said.

"Yeah, right. Convincing," Faith said. "I'm sure mom was _really_ hard to convince." Faith rolled her eyes. "No one's managed to convince you otherwise. It's like you're a saint or something. How can you be so good? I mean, it's really just been Noah and Reid, right?"

Luke nodded affirmatively. _Was that really as pathetic as it sounded? At 25 years old, it had been 'just' Noah and Reid._ "Well, it's not like there have been a million guys knocking down my door," he joked, blinking his eyes to banish the image of Kevin's angry outburst at the lake.

"Yeah, but you have one who looks at you like you're the only guy on the planet. Isn't that good enough?"

"Really?" Luke asked in surprise.

"Du-uh," said Faith, somehow stretching her reply into two syllables.

"Actually, I saw the way you guys were looking at _each other_ when we came to get Ethan and Natalie at the wedding. It was like you couldn't stand to have the rest of us in the room because you wanted to be alone so badly."

"Were we that obvious?" Luke asked. He felt a tint of pink starting to color his cheeks and ears.

Faith didn't even bother voicing her "Duh!" and settled for the withering "Are you really that clueless?" glare that she usually reserved for Lily.

"So do you think this could be it?" Faith asked. "Are you in love with Reid?"

Luke hadn't put words to the thought yet. In fact, he'd not even allowed himself to think the "L word" yet, for fear of jinxing his own nascent and somewhat fragile relationship. Noah had only recently left for LA, and he and Reid were still wading through the waters of being newfound lovers.

"I dunno," Luke replied uncertainly.

"You were in love with Noah," Faith replied. "Doesn't it feel the same?"

Luke thought about that for a moment and had to shake his head. Almost nothing felt the same. When he met Noah, he was attracted to him almost immediately. But all the months he spent trying to win back Noah's approval had made love feel like a chore.

The residual insecurity had caused him to hold off from acknowledging his own attraction to Reid for months, fearing that Reid's feelings were limited to lust—lust which would quickly dissipate after a quick roll in the hay. But despite Reid's best (and not always convincing) efforts to convey his true emotions (efforts that left Reid feeling uncharacteristically ill-equipped), Luke was still surprised that after they first made love, and as they continued to explore their intimacy that Reid's interest showed no sign of waning.

"Earth to Luke?" Faith tried.

"Uh, no," Luke replied, scrambling to remember the last question. "Not really."

"Then how did you know that you wanted to sleep with him?"

Luke turned crimson and silently thanked the heavens (again) that he had finally come to his senses and actually made love with Reid. He suddenly realized how completely ridiculous he would have felt telling his 17-year-old sister that in fact, no, he hadn't slept with his 32-year-old boyfriend of several months yet. "Faith, I, uh…"

"Oh, right," Faith said. "Never mind. I guess that's kind of obvious."

"Um, yeah," Luke agreed, glad not to have to respond.

"Well, I'm glad at least one Synder is happy and has a normal, healthy relationship. When we came to get you guys and Ethan and Natalie at the Lakeview, you looked just like a family. It was really sweet."

Luke hadn't really thought about it previously, but with Faith's perspective, he had to agree, it felt like a happy, healthy relationship, too.

* * *

The morning had started with Reid mumbling something about foolish spectacles, unkeepable promises, and phony pomp and circumstance.

But then despite his cynicism, Reid had shown up at Emma's (looking heart-stoppingly handsome in a suit, Luke recalled), announced to Abigail that he and Luke were "together" then did a surprisingly good job of making Molly feel better after learning why the groom was late for his own wedding.

Shortly after Jack whisked Carly away to attend to her allegedly sprained ankle, Molly had sent Luke and Reid ahead to the Lakeview with Ethan and Natalie, so they could all be ready for the dramatic arrival of the happy bride and groom.

Lisa's assistant had found an empty room for them to camp out in. Reid had tossed his jacket on the bed as soon as they'd walked in, but Luke picked it up, and hung it, along with his own, on the back of the desk chair. Reid propped a few pillows up at the head of the bed, pushed his sleeves up and flopped back onto the bed, hoping to catch up on a few CNN headlines.

Ethan, spying his chance, hopped onto the bed and crawled to Reid's side and grabbed the remote.

"Hey, I was just…." Reid started.

"Looking for the Playstation games, I hope," Ethan replied enthusiastically. Before Reid could get a word in edgewise, Luke shot him a cautionary glance. Reid rolled his eyes in capitulation.

Ethan, who'd spent many hours waiting for Lily in empty ballrooms, conference rooms and makeshift babysitting suites, deftly navigated his way through the hotel entertainment system, and quickly engaged Reid in games of Pac-Man, Tomb Raider ("Luke, are you sure he should be playing this?") and electronic chess.

Luke, meanwhile, sat on the reading chair playing paper dolls with Natalie at the desk. Luke occasioned a glance and found himself smiling at the image of Reid with his arm awkwardly around Ethan, each wearing matching determined expressions as they manipulated their game controllers.

"Lu-uuuke," said a somewhat petulant Ethan a short while later. "Can you and Reid switch? He _sucks_ at Mario Kart." Reid frowned at Ethan then shot Luke a warning death glare.

"Ethan!" Luke gasped, "You can't say that! Where did you hear that word?"

Reid conveniently looked out the window as Ethan turned his way. "Figures," Luke said. "Serves you right," he added to Reid's back.

"How is it that Katie's driving skills haven't rubbed off on you?" Luke asked. "She beat everyone at Mario Kart last Thanksgiving. She's the Master." Luke bowed down in mock homage.

"Who could develop driving skills playing against Mario Peretti?" asked Reid. "She's so good that she only plays the hardest levels; by the time I get myself out of the canyon or the ditch or the cow patties she's already finished."

Luke almost choked trying to stifle the urge to snicker. "Who wants something from the minibar? he asked instead, changing the subject.

"Me, me!" shouted Ethan and Natalie. Luke turned to Reid who meekly raised his hand as well. Luke couldn't help smiling again.

They broke the paper seal on the fridge handle and looked inside to find a few sodas, a packet of peanuts and a couple of bags of chips. Luke sat the kids down at the desk with the chips and sodas, and took his place next to Reid on the bed in the space Ethan had just vacated.

Reid put his arm around Luke and reached into the bag of peanuts with his other hand, stopping to place a kiss on Luke's head. "Finally, food. Even Emma's chocolate chip cookies didn't make up for missing lunch."

"You came to the wedding without having lunch?" Luke asked in surprise.

"Well, between grabbing a shower, getting changed, and hightailing out to the Farm," Reid replied. "There wasn't really time."

"Awww, thanks," Luke replied, planting a quick kiss on Reid's lips.

"Yuck!" declared Ethan. "No kissing!" Reid was taken aback and Luke rolled his eyes.

"Oh grow up, Ethan," Natalie chided. "Don't take it personally, Reid. He says that when Dad and Molly kiss, too."

"Do not," said Ethan.

"Do too!" Natalie retorted.

"Do _not," _insisted Ethan.

"Do too!"

"Do _NOT!"_

"Do – " Natalie began before Luke interrupted.

"Hey, guys," Luke started. "Enough already. You ready for some Mario Kart, Ethan?"

"Yeah!" said Ethan, allowing himself to be distracted.

"Out of the way, gramps," Luke told Reid, playfully nudging him on the side of the rump. "Why don't you keep Natalie company?"

"Hey, Luke," called Natalie.

"Yeah?"

"Can we use your laptop?" she asked.

"My laptop, why?"

"I want to go on barbiegirls-dot-com," she replied.

Reid's eyebrows shot up in horror.

"No problem," replied Luke, smiling (admittedly somewhat sadistically) to himself. He looked over to see Reid silently mouthing "No, no, no. No way, no freakin' way. Absolutely no freakin' way!" from behind Natalie's back.

Luke pretended not to notice Reid's protests and added, "If you had have brushed up on your driving skills, you could be playing Mario Kart instead."

"Well, I guess it can't be worse than being a cartoon character named Toad," Reid mumbled.

"Be right back Ethan," called Luke. "I'll be Yoshi. Can you pick a car for me and get the course set up?"

Luke reached into his bag and pulled out his laptop, plugging it into the socket above the desk. As he waited for the start-up cycle to complete.

"Okay, Natalie," then added with gleeful delight, "and _Reid_. Here we are: barbiegirls-dot-com," said Luke. And then smiled at Reid, "Have fun."

"I'll get you for this!" Reid mouthed to Luke's back as he made his way onto the bed with Ethan. Luke stuck his tongue out at Reid and hopped onto the bed.

"Come 'ere," Luke said to Ethan, pulling him between his long legs. Luke wrapped his arms around Ethan and they began to drive.

"You're not as good as you used to be, either," commented Ethan midway through their first race, but in truth, Luke drove himself off more than one cliff because he was distracted watching Reid and Natalie (something Ethan couldn't see from his vantage point).

"Do you want blue eye shadow, green, or purple?" Natalie was asking.

"Like I care?" Reid asked incredulously.

"Reid!" Natalie scolded.

"Okay," Reid replied, suitably chastised, "Purple, I guess."

"That's better," Natalie continued.

"Sheesh, she looks like she got socked in the eye!" Reid observed.

"Well, you're the one who chose purple. Everyone knows purple tends to make your eyes look swollen."

"Then make it blue?"

"Blue it is," agreed Natalie, making the change. "Now how about lips – pink, purple or red?"

Reid rolled his eyes. This was clearly one of the few occasions when he was mistaken. Choosing between Perfect Plum and Cha-Cha Red was clearly worse than being Toad.

Natalie glared at him.

"Um, pink?" Reid gulped.

Natalie nodded, satisfied. "Okay, now. Jewels for her cheek – butterfly, heart or peace sign."

"I don't kn – " Reid stopped himself this time. "Peace sign," he said resignedly.

"Perfect," smiled Natalie. "Doesn't she look great?"

"Great," muttered Reid, wearing the same expression he had on when Bob had asked him to work on his people skills.

They continued on for the better part of 45 minutes – Luke and Ethan playing Mario Kart, Reid reluctantly playing along with Natalie – while awaiting news from the wedding party.

Reid mentally calculated the number of permutations of eye shadow, blush, lipstick, hair color and style, hair ornaments, nail polish, face jewels, and rings…and concluding that the number was bigger than he could manage in his head and called to Luke, "Is this wedding ever going to happen?"

"My dad's just a little delayed," Luke replied. "Don't worry. The wedding will happen," Luke said on autopilot.

"Who's worried about the wedding?" Reid asked."I'm worried about the six perfectly good hours of my life that I'm never going to get back." Six eyes turned to glare at him. "Uh, the delightful time spent with the present company excepted."

"Luke," Ethan said, a note of petulance sounding in his voice. "I'm _bored._ Can we go for a walk?"

"Sure," said Luke, grateful for an excuse to stretch his own legs, which were getting a bit numb from Ethan's weight leaning against them. "Why don't we give the hotel stairs a workout?"

"What?" Reid exclaimed. "You're _leaving _me?"

"You want to go instead?" Luke asked, as Natalie poised, ready to protest. "Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?" Natalie pounced.

"Anything's better than being cooped up here at the Bates Motel," Reid muttered.

"What's the Bates Motel?" Ethan asked.

"I'll tell you all about it," Reid offered. "Let's go, sport."

"Don't you dare!" Luke cautioned.

Reid smiled deviously and signalled for Ethan to hop off the bed. At the rate of two and a quarter minutes per makeover, Reid estimated that he had already endured roughly two dozen choices of makeup and accessories. Another hour or so of the monotonous repetition and he feared he'd start categorizing brain matter as Samba Silver or Misty Charcoal gray.

Luke and Faith settled in for an intense game of hangman as Reid supposedly took Ethan for some laps on the hotel stairs. Instead, they made a detour to the hotel bar and shared a giant order of fully loaded potato skins.

Twenty minutes later, Reid and Ethan returned, having tucked Ethan's slightly cheese-stained tie into his suit jacket. Luke and Natalie both looked up suspiciously as they heard whispering from outside the hotel room door.

From the other side of the door, Reid and Ethan gave each other the once over, double-checking for tell-tale grease stains. Ethan nodded his approval and Reid gave him a playful tap on the head as he reached into his pocket for the keycard.

Opening the door, he expected for find Luke chained to the digital makeover game, but instead, as soon as he and Ethan stepped into the doorway, he found them both staring at them as if they 'd each grown an extra head. Guessing they'd been caught red-handed, but not sure why, Ethan and Reid looked guiltily at each other and then back at Luke and Natalie.

"So, um, Ethan," Reid started, "How were those stairs?"

"Really tiring!" Ethan replied, just a bit too enthusiastically.

By this time, Luke had finally decoded the scent wafting from the two returning boys. He stared suspiciously at them, without tipping his hand, and strolled into Reid's personal space, looking him up and down like a film noir detective. _Ah ha, _he confirmed. _Scallion breath._ "So, um, Ethan," he finally mimicked, "How were those potato skins?"

"Aw, Luke!" Ethan cried. "How did you know?"

"Because you guys _totally _smell like potato skins! And bacon! And cheese!...not to mention, you — scallion breath." Reid breathed into his palm surreptitiously and was irked to find he'd missed such an obvious sign. Natalie started giggling uncontrollably at how predictable the two of them together were. "Hey, Luke, potato skins are starting to sound pretty good! Can we get a snack, too?"

"Let's give mom and dad another fifteen minutes, and if they haven't called, we can all order room service, okay?" Luke suggested.

"Okay," Natalie reluctantly agreed. "More Barbie, Reid?"

"Sure," Luke answered for him. Reid scowled, but nevertheless obediently took his seat next to Natalie. Luckily, it was only a few minutes before Faith and Parker knocked on the door.

"Hey, can you guys let us in? It's us," Faith called.

"Can you get that Natalie?" Luke asked, his arms around Ethan, the two of them neck-and-neck in the third lap of a Flower Cup race rematch.

"Wait for me to get back before you do her nails, Reid" Natalie cautioned. She skipped to the door, tapped it just far enough open for Parker to grab, and then raced back to Reid's side. "You didn't do her nails without me, did you?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Reid replied, the dripping sarcasm in his voice going unnoticed by the aspiring beautician to his left.

"Hey, Faith, Parker," Luke called. "Just give me a minute to put Bowser here out of his mystery."

"No way!" Ethan retorted, "You're mine, dino-man!"

"No!" both of them shouted in unison.

"What happened?" Faith asked.

"Waluigi inked us!" Ethan wailed, vigorously pushing the "go" button on his controller.

"Ha ha," Luke laughed, "Eat my dust!"

By then, Natalie and Reid had joined them on the bed and were alternately cheering them on. "Ha, ha!" Reid was surprised to hear himself shout as Ethan's Bowser bumped Luke's Yoshi off the side of the road. "You got him now, Ethan! Go left!"

"Watch out behind you, Luke!" Natalie warned as Yoshi got beaned with a bolt of lightning. As they neared the finish line, Yoshi regained his normal size and slowly pulled up to Bowser, with the two barely a nose apart. "Go, Luke!" called Natalie. "Almost there. You can hold him off, Ethan!" countered Reid.

Six shoulders leaned into the TV, adding a little body English to the virtual accelerators when all of a sudden a bullet whizzed across the finish line.

"What?" cried Ethan. "Who?" said Luke.

"It's Baby Peach!" laughed Natalie, recognizing the young princess raising her hands in a victorious fist pump as she started on her victory lap.

"Awww!" lamented Ethan, who finished in second place, a slim margin ahead of Luke.

"Oh, man," Luke laughed, slumping back on the bed. "I'm getting too old for this."

"Yeah right," Reid replied. "You're loving every minute of it."

"Guilty as charged," Luke smiled. "But you're not looking like you're as tortured as you claim, yourself." He meant to give Reid a playful smirk, but couldn't help noticing how attractive he looked with his sleeves pushed up and his tie loosened by his open collar.

Reid frowned quizzically at the sudden change in Luke's expression but then stopped to process Luke's comment. He had to secretly admit, as mind-numbing as Natalie's makeover choices were, he was kind of enjoying their time with the little rugrats — not the least because Luke loved them and they clearly loved Luke unconditionally.

"How about giving me a turn?" Parker asked.

Ethan eagerly plucked the game controller out of Luke's hands and turned them over to Parker, eager for a more worthy opponent.

Natalie turned to Faith, "Does that mean you'll play with me, Faith?"

"Sure," she said reluctantly. "I guess so. I don't have anything better to do."

Though relieved to finally be free of the treacly pink Stepford makeovers, Reid couldn't help but feel a bit insulted that he'd been tossed over by yet another Snyder child. He picked up the half-eaten bag of chips from the table and sat heavily in the couch. Luke gave him a mock sympathetic look.

"Mom just called and said she and dad just landed and are on their way," Faith added. "Molly asked us to come wait with you so we can all meet downstairs together."

"On_ their_ way?" Luke asked, wrinkling up his nose in surprise. He grabbed a seltzer water out of the minibar and sat down on the couch next to Reid. "That doesn't sound like such a good idea."

Reid leaned over to whisper in Luke's ear: "In what universe is it a _good_ idea to show up at your wedding with your ex-wife after following her to France? This has disaster written —"

Though Luke was enjoying the feel of Reid's voice tickling his ear, he managed to muster up sufficient indignity to level a withering scowl in Reid's direction, prompting Reid to stop mid-sentence and put on his "suitably admonished" face.

Luke was about to issue a blistering retort when the phone in his pocket buzzed. Glancing quickly at the caller ID, he was surprised to find he didn't recognize the number. "Luke Snyder," he answered.

"Hey, Luke," said the voice on the other end of the line, "It's me, Carly."

"Hey, Carly," Luke replied. "What's the story? Is dad here?

"I don't think so. Holden and Lily landed about a half-hour ago now," she continued. "Since they arrived at the private terminal, Holden should be at the Lakeview any minute." Luke noticed she didn't mention Lily and silently thought _uh-oh_ to himself.

"Okay, so what do you want us to do?"

"Can you hustle up the kids and meet us in the lobby?" she asked.

"No problem," Luke cheerfully confirmed. "See you in a few." Luke pressed the End Call button and then turned face the rest of the room. "That was Carly."

"No shit, Luke," Faith muttered.

Reid had the same thought but was at least astute enough to keep the thought to himself. Instead, when Luke looked at him sternly, he merely mouthed "Smart girl."

"She asked us to meet them in the lobby, so we'd better get going."

Reid couldn't resist. "Finally!" escaped from his lips before he could stop it. After Luke non-verbally admonished him, he rolled his sleeves back down, picked up his jacket from the chair, tightened his tie most of the way, as he wasn't yet convinced that this wedding was actually going to take place.

"C'mon Reid, I'll race you to the elevators!" Ethan challenged, tugging at Reid's hand. Reid rolled his eyes then loped after Ethan, with Natalie following shortly behind.

Parker chivalrously held the door open for Faith, leaving her and Luke for last.

"Do you think dad will actually go through with it?" Faith whispered.

"I dunno," Luke replied. "He says he loves her and wants to share his life with her."

"He's said that before," Faith replied, and led the way up the hall with Luke and Parker following behind.

As elevator opened, Luke's phone rang again. "My phone doesn't work in the elevator," Luke said. "Why don't you two go ahead. I'll catch up with you in the lobby."

Faith shrugged and Parker ushered her in and pushed the button for the ground floor.

A quick glance at his phone confirmed that Abigail was calling.

"Hey, Abs," Luke said. "Where are you? Are you here already? Carly just asked us to get the kids downstairs and I'm just about to get into the elevator."

"No, I'm still at the Farm," Abigail said, her voice cracking a bit oddly.

"Well what the hell's keeping you? Don't tell me dad got cold feet," Luke joked.

"There's not going to be a wedding," Abigail admitted.

"What do you mean there's not going to be a wedding? I thought my mom called and said they had landed and were on their way."

"She did. They did," Abigail replied. "It was Molly who called it off."

"Molly?" Luke said in surprise, "What happened?"

"She wouldn't say," said Abigail, "But I think that dad flying off to Paris the night before his wedding probably sent a pretty strong signal. If I had to put money on it, I'd bet she finally decided she wouldn't settle for being second choice."

"Dad doesn't think of her that way," Luke protested.

"I know he doesn't think he does, but do you blame her?" Abigail challenged.

"I guess not," Luke agreed. "So what do you need me to do?"

"Can you break the news to the kids? Molly passed along a message about a Mrs. Lewis picking them up to take them home for the night? Does that mean anything to you?"

"Yeah, sure," Luke said. "Mrs. Lewis is their nanny, and they sometimes spend the night at her place when mom and dad are both out of town or have late night meetings. So yeah, I can do that."

"Thanks," said Molly. "I'd better go help Molly pack."

"She's leaving already?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, now that this fiasco's over, she wants to just leave it behind. So she's coming to LA with me."

"So you're leaving, too?"

"Yeah. We're gonna do some major league chick bonding," Abigail joked. "But seriously, since I probably won't get a chance to see you before I go, take care of yourself, Luke. You seem really happy. You and your Dr. Reid Oliver seem really comfortable around each other."

"I guess we are," Luke smiled.

"Molly said he was, and I quote, 'a keeper.'" Abigail laughed.

"You had time to talk about my date?" Luke asked incredulously.

"Even in the direst times, women can always find time to dish about hot men," she replied. "Who, I might remind you, are few and far between. So hang onto him."

"I'll do my best," said Luke.

"And you'll have to tell me all about that big elephant sometime. You promise to call me and tell me all about it?"

"You bet."

"No, really. Not just a promise to say you've promised. You'll really call me?"

"Yes, Abs, I promise," Luke recited.

"Good – I'll hold you to it," she replied. "Give a hug to Faith, Natalie and Ethan for me, will ya? And tell them I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to see them. And if you talk to Aaron, tell him he's a boob for missing dad's wedding…or non-wedding, as the case may be."

"Will do," laughed Luke.

"Don't forget to call me," reminded Abigail one last time.

"I won't!"

"Bye," said Abigail.

"Bye," said Luke, spying an elevator about to leave without him. He smacked the Down button on the wall and the elevator doors obligingly re-opened to let him in. Luke snuck into the elevator as the doors pulled closed and pocketed his phone. He didn't look forward to breaking the news to Faith. Or to hearing Reid say, "I told you so."

When Luke arrived in the lobby, Ethan and Natalie were playing a game of tag, with Reid stuck in the middle acting as a physical impediment, the two children orbiting and dodging around him.

"Time out!" Luke called. "Hey, you two," he addressed the Ethan and Natalie. Go play tic-tac-toe with Parker and Faith for five minutes." The teens gave him a quizzical look but went along, with Parker looking for a space at the bar stools along the wall, and Faith digging into her pocketbook for some pen and paper.

"Thank god you're here. What took you so long? What, did you fly to France to check on Holden or something?" Reid was somewhat flustered, and bordering on babbling.

"I was less than five minutes behind you," Luke corrected him. "Quit being a baby."

"Yeah, but —" Reid started to protest, but Luke cut him off.

"There's not going to be a wedding," he whispered.

"Oh, well that's a big honkin' surprise," Reid replied.

"Shhh!" Luke admonished. "I haven't told the kids yet! I'm going to break the news to Faith. Can you take care of Ethan and Natalie?"

"Um, no," Reid started to reply, but Luke had already turned his back and gingerly started to make his way over to where the younger four sat.

"Hey, Faith, Parker, can I talk to you for a minute?" Luke asked, motioning to the far side of the room. "Ethan and Natalie – you stay with Reid for a few more minutes."

"Aw, Luke," Ethan complained, "Wouldja hurry up already? I thought you said dad was on his way."

"What's going on?" asked Faith.

"They called it off," Luke repled.

"They called off the wedding?" Parker asked.

"What happened?" asked Faith, trying not to get her hopes up.

"I'm not sure," Luke replied, not sure how much they already knew or suspected, and even less sure if knowing the truth would make things better or worse.

"But Molly was all set to do it," Faith replied. "Did something happen? Are Mom and Dad back together?"

"Look, Faith," said Luke, "I don't know. All I know is what Abigail told me, and apparently Molly called it off." With the news delivered, Parker put a comforting arm around Faith's shoulder, so Luke turned to see if Reid had fulfilled his part of the assignment. "Reid, do you want to —"

Luke stopped short when he realized that the kids were already three steps ahead of Reid.

"When is Molly gonna marry Daddy?" Natalie asked. Reid quickly looked up to catch Luke's eye, hoping he'd jump in to respond, but Luke didn't bite, perfectly happy to let Reid jump on that grenade.

"Um, that's not today," Reid replied, even more unsure than Luke about how best to reply.

Ethan, who had been fiddling with the paper umbrella in his orange juice spun on his stool, as if he were the CEO, turning around in his office chair to face some plebeian underling. "Then when?" he demanded.

"That's …that's a good, um …it's hard to pin —," Reid struggled, finally settling on, "It's hard to say." Luke thought about intervening, but decided watching Reid squirm was just too rare and enjoyable an occurrence and he settled in to enjoy the show.

Reid looked up to catch Luke's eye, again, hoping to engage him in the conversation, caught the amused look on Luke's face and realized that an imminent rescue was _not _forthcoming.

Meanwhile Natalie jumped to the obvious conclusion: "They're never going to get married?"

"Oh, I didn't … I didn't say that —" Reid couldn't imagine where he should take this conversation next, and Luke knew it. The smile tugging at the corners of his mouth became a full-fledged grin that stretched from ear to ear as Reid was clearly wading in well out of his depth. Luke felt like his whole body wanted to laugh, and he felt a vaguely familiar tugging at his heart that he couldn't describe, but and he finally couldn't refrain from laughing out loud when Reid resorted to bribery – with food, no less.

"Um, do you want to have some wedding cake or something with sugar or sugary —?" Reid suggested.

Luke briefly contemplated letting Reid swing in the wind for a bit longer, but then his awareness of how hard this was for Reid, and how he clearly was making a decent effort of it all kicked in, and he took pity on the poor man. "Hey, guess what, guys?" Luke leaned onto the bar so he could speak to the kids at their level. "Mrs. Lewis is coming, so you two get to have a sleepover."

'_Bout time, you ingrate! _Reid quietly muttered to himself. Luke thought he heard some mumbling and raised a suspicious eyebrow, but Reid put on an innocent neutral face, so Luke turned back to the kids.

"But Reid said we could have cake," Natalie protested.

Reid nodded, perhaps a little too eagerly. "Uh, cake, yeah."

Luke smiled. "Cake?" Three hungry faces turned to him eagerly.

Reid clarified, "Yeah, we're gonna —"

Luke smiled, realizing that depriving them of cake could be a life-threatening decision. "Right, cake. I'll see what I can do." Luke gave the kids a victorious (and relieved) thumbs up as Luke turned to check in with Faith before leaving to search for cake for the younger Snyders (and the somewhat older but no less hungry neurosurgeon), "Hey. I'm sure that Mom and Dad are gonna call with details. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Faith confirmed, sounding less than fine.

Parker, who had also caught much of Reid's exchange with the kids offered, "I'll stay with her, okay?"

Torn between comforting Faith and staving off a riot, Luke was grateful for the offer. "Thanks, bro," Luke told him. "All right," he said, turning back to his cake-starved crew. "Come on, guys." Luke put an arm on Natalie's shoulder to direct her towards the door.

"Hop down," Reid told Ethan, giving him a boost down from his stool. Ethan made a perfect two-point landing, and eagerly followed after Natalie.

"You owe me," Reid whispered. "Big time." Luke could only laugh in response.

They made their way into the private dining room and Luke collared Simona, the Lakeview events coordinator to update her on the situation and took the opportunity to have her chase down the wedding cake. "If Molly has other plans for it, I'll accept responsibility for it," Luke told her.

"Whatever you say, Mr. Snyder," she replied. "Be back in 10 minutes. Why don't you make yourself comfortable?"

"Wow!" Ethan gasped, looking at the head table up on the dais. "It's just like the table King Arthur would sit at! Can we sit there?" "Sure," Luke laughed. "Go ahead."

They had been learning about medieval times at Ethan's school, and Camelot, knights, and Robin Hood were all frequent, recent visitors to the Snyder household. "Bow to me, knave," he commanded to Luke, who tipped his hat and paused on one knee in deference on his way to the front of the room.

Ethan and Natalie made a beeline for the head table, clambering up the dais to seat themselves at the front of the long banquet table.

Luke and Reid stood back and watched their exuberant display. "All he needs is a velvet crown and a giant turkey drumstick, and he could be Henry the VIIIth," Reid muttered. Luke elbowed him in the ribs.

The kids were busy trying to figure out what one did with all twelve pieces of cutlery, when Simona returned pushing a cart carrying a small three-layer cake with the requisite bride and groom on top.

"Ken and Barbie? Really?" Reid groaned. "I would've guessed Molly would have better taste."

"Reid!" Luke chided.

"Wow!" Ethan exclaimed again. "Look at the size of that!"

"Slow down, mister," said Simona, laughing at Ethan's enthusiasm. "We have mudslide, carrot, and lemon poppy seed. Which would you like?"

"All of them!" Ethan replied without hesitation.

"How about starting with the top layer," Luke sensibly suggested.

"Awwwww," Natalie joined Ethan in chorusing.

"That would be the mudslide," Simona noted.

"What's a mudslide?" asked Ethan.

"It's chocolate cake with coffee cream filling, caramel, and a drizzle of Irish liqueur," Simona explained.

"I'll take the top," Reid volunteered.

"Me too!" said Natalie.

"Me three!" added Ethan.

"Okay," Simona laughed. "Mudslide it is."

She carefully separated the top layer onto a serving platter and cut out four slices. "Why don't you join us?" Luke asked. "The cake isn't going anywhere – you might as well enjoy it."

"That's really nice of you, Mr. Snyder," said Simona. "I don't think I've ever been offered a slice of wedding cake before."

"Really?" Luke asked, incredulous. "And call me 'Luke' ."

Between mouthfuls of cake, Reid looked up to Luke and mouthed "Flirt!"

"Really. Usually if the clients don't notice me at all, it means I'm doing my job well," she replied.

"Well, if you plan my wedding, you can have a slice of cake at my wedding, too," Luke added. If Simona didn't know that Luke were gay, she would have found it even harder to resist giggling in response to Luke's dashing smile. Reid rolled his eyes and enjoyed his well-earned cake.

Ethan had allowed Reid to be his cake-tester, and after receiving a double thumbs-up, had thrown himself into the act of devouring said cake. Luke took his slice and perched himself at the end of the long table, which allowed him to take in the three of them enjoying their treat.

Ethan managed to end up with a combination of buttercream frosting and coffee filling on his nose and cheeks. Reid, sitting closest to him, gingerly took out a napkin and dabbed it off, almost as if he were afraid he might smudge or break. Luke leaned his chin against his hand to watch and completely forgot about his own cake.

A reflexive smile started to tug at the corners of his mouth as he watched Ethan intentionally aiming his cake so he ended up with frosting all over his face, while Reid tried to stay at worst a step behind in keeping him cleaned up while Natalie snickered at their exchange. Luke recognized the look on Reid's face — combination of genuine annoyance at the childish game, with a bubble of laughter just underneath the surface, threatening to emerge.

Reid had made it clear he had no interest in attending Holden's wedding. And yet he'd not only shown up, but had gone above and beyond the call of duty hanging out with Ethan and Natalie.

Months ago, when Reid thought he was saying goodbye to Katie, Luke had watched in the streets of Old Town while Reid joked easily with her, and then picked up Jacob in a way that seemed…_loving_. Luke had been so stunned he couldn't tear his eyes away and he felt a strange, sentimental tugging at his heart, one he certainly didn't expect to feel for this arrogant doctor who'd kept him far beyond arm's distance away.

But even months into their relationship, Reid largely reserved his paternal instincts for Jacob (and Katie, though only when he couldn't avoid it), so even since, aside from those few moments in Old Town, Luke had rarely seen that side of Reid.

So today, as he watched Reid assiduously trying _not_ to be playful with his siblings (and not so subtly failing), Luke recalled the potential he glimpsed that day and had long ago filed away and forgotten. And once again he felt the unfamiliar tug at his heart, this time accompanied by a hint of giddiness, knowing that the recipients of Reid's affection uncharacteristic affability were the siblings he held so dear himself.

* * *

As Luke and Faith sat on the couch at home, silently munching on popcorn, he thought back to Faith's unceremonious arrival, her predicament, and how Reid had counseled Faith. Reid had a terrible bedside manner – he and Luke had had a good laugh on more than one occasion about Reid's complete lack of tact (though usually followed by a stern lecture from Luke on how to improve his patient and family member management skills).

But watching Reid hold back his disdain — for Faith's impetuous actions, her lack of loyalty to Parker, and her obvious disregard for the potential consequences — Luke again felt like he had that day watching Reid with Jacob in Old Town, and once more he felt the tugging at his heart, this time spreading down the arteries in his arms all the way to his aching fingertips.

Faith's unanswered question echoed in his head: "Are you in love with Reid?"

With his arm protectively wrapped around Faith's shoulder, Luke heard a quiet voice in his head whisper, "I guess I am."

And with that acknowledgement, Luke recognized the odd sensations in his heart, arms, and hands – it was love. He loved Reid with every inch of his body, only his body figured it out before his head did.

* * *

Luke sat down at his laptop to begin his obituary assignment. He still wasn't sure he had any idea what he wanted to be when he "grew up" but he knew that he wanted a family, so he started with the last paragraph. "In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions should be sent to the Snyder Foundation, 1424 Knight Point Circle, Oakdale, Illinois, 62268. Snyder is survived by his husband of 42 years, renowned neu…"

Luke paused and tried to find a way to avoid mentioning Reid by name or other identifiable characteristics.

"Snyder is survived by his husband of 42 years, and their two children, Harvey Angus…"

Luke backspaced and continued, "…their two children, Harvey and Iva Lucy Snyder Oli…."

_Shit_, Luke thought.

Thinking back to the days when he remained unsure what he should do with the knowledge that he was indeed in love, he remembered always worrying that he might accidentally let the cat out of the bag. The last thing he wanted to do was to make a big announcement, or even slip up, only to find out that his newfound sentiment was unrequited. So he kept his discovery to himself, and tried to convince himself it wasn't a big deal.

For the most part, he was successful. But on the rare occasions when Reid completely let down his guard, Luke would once again feel the tingle in his fingers and the twinge in his heart that were searching for release.

When Reid inadvertently declared his love, in front of much of Oakdale's elite, no less, Luke recalled feeling an overwhelming sense of relief, as the secret he'd kept to himself no longer needed to be so. But the relief was quickly followed by what was one of the best feelings of his life, as a wave of good feelings took over. Not only was it okay for Luke Snyder to be in love with Reid Oliver, but Reid Oliver was in love with Luke Snyder. And he was awfully pleased to be Luke Snyder at that particular moment in time.

Luke tried substituting fake names into the assignment, but reading it back to himself, he felt oddly unfaithful. He still didn't know where Reid stood, but at this point in time, he could no longer pretend that he didn't care who he spent his life with.

_Fuck it,_ Luke finally concluded, and backspaced again. _Reid can read tomorrow's assignment. _Luke quickly filled in the rest of the blanks on his own and Reid's obituaries, then sat back, satisfied, and reread his assignment, which ended:

"Snyder is survived by his husband of 42 years, renowned neurosurgeon and researcher, the Alexander Cabot Professor of Neuroscience at Oakdale University, Reid Oliver, and their two children, Dr. Iva Lucy Snyder-Oliver, and writer Harvey Angus Snyder-Oliver."


	32. Follow the Wind

**Chapter 32: Follow the Wind**

* * *

_Author's Notes: I've said all along that I do intend to finish this, though as you can tell, it may take awhile. I have an unusually significant life event (good one) coming up, so it's taking all of my attentions right now (will be able to say more soon). But in the meantime, a new comment and some new alerts/favorites for this very old story have given me the incentive I needed to get this next chapter out at least. Hope you enjoy it. Definitely more to come. Thanks for reading! -LL_

* * *

After he finally stopped trying to write his obituary without mentioning Reid, Luke found that his assignment progressed quickly and he finished mid-afternoon. But even still, he was reluctant to subject himself to a repeat of Bradley's inquisition and stayed in his room, hoping to survive on hot cocoa and marshmallows long enough to catch a late dinner after his classmates would likely have finished.

As he sat on his bed reviewing Grimaldi and Foundation emails, a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Who is it?" Luke called.

"Me," returned a familiar voice.

"Hang on a sec," Luke replied, and set his laptop to the side. He opened the door to find Tessa shivering in the dimming evening light, her breath lit by the amber streetlights. Luke was barely aware that he took a quick look around to confirm that she was alone, though his subtle motion did not go unnoticed.

"Oreo for your thoughts?" she asked, pulling a convenience-store sized pack of the sandwich cookies out of her bag, and waggling it invitingly.

Luke smiled and, convinced that she was indeed alone, tilted his head to invite her in.

"It's not like you to miss lunch _and_ dinner," she said. "If I didn't know better, I'd accuse you of avoiding us." Tessa made her way into the room and dropped her bag by the door. Luke nodded towards his cocoa mug and Tessa smiled her silent assent. She settled herself down facing the back of the desk chair, watching Luke as he put on the kettle to make her favorite – hot cocoa with an extra packet of sugar, and five marshmallows.

"Oh, I guess I just caught up on emails and lost track of the time," he said unconvincingly.

"So, um," Tessa began. "What's the skinny? Scuttlebutt says you got a package from a fancy schmancy Boston jeweler..."

"So you heard?" Luke asked.

"It would be faster to tell you who _hasn't _heard," Tessa replied. "Bradley's been telling everyone who'll listen."

"Oh great," Luke rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry," Tessa smiled reassuringly. "Everyone thinks he's full of it, so I bet no one will remember by tomorrow morning."

"I guess," Luke said. Luke had mixed up her cocoa and added a bit of milk to cool it down, and walked over to hand it to her before sitting down opposite her on the bed with his own cooling mug.

Tessa put her mug down on the desk, the desk light reflecting in her smiling eyes. "So….," she started, no longer able to contain herself, "was it something small and shiny?"

"So much for no one listening to Bradley," Luke joked.

It was Tessa's turn to roll her eyes, and she shrugged helplessly, "Well was it?"

"Well, more like something _big_ and shiny," Luke replied, trying to sound cheerful.

"Isn't that better?" Tessa asked. She smiled mischievously and playfully leaned across to hold up his left hand. Surprised to find it unadorned, she managed an awkward, "Oh! Um…"

Luke pulled his left hand back and self-consciously stuffed it into his jeans pocket.

Tessa remained silent waiting for him to make the next move . She watched as Luke studiously finished the last of his marshmallows, running his index finger along the sugary inside rim and then licking off the remaining marshmallow guts.

"You know, it's funny, though," he said pensively.

"What's funny?"

"Well, when I finally got to talk to him this afternoon, he mentioned that Katie thought I might be disappointed…you know, because I'd get excited about something from a jeweler, and that it's not…you know..."

"…A ring?" Tessa asked.

Luke nodded.

"Well, were you?" Tessa prompted.

"Honestly?"

"No. Please. Lie to me, Luke," Tessa joked. "No, seriously. You don't answer that unless you want to."

"I guess, a little," Luke replied, shrugging.

"Wasn't it just last week that you were telling me that if things didn't work out, they just weren't meant to be?" Tessa challenged.

Luke shrugged again, searching his empty mug intently for more marshmallows to distract himself with, though none could be found.

"You know, Luke Snyder," she continued, "You're getting awfully close to crossing the border between contemplating happily ever after with your hunky doc and really counting on it," Tessa cautioned. "You didn't happen to let Reid in on this little change of heart, did you?"

"What?" Luke asked. "Hell no! Of course not."

"So…? What's so strange?"

"Well, I almost got the feeling he was disappointed I _wasn't_ disappointed," Luke said.

"You know, that actually made sense," Tessa replied.

"It's all these writing classes – I have a way with words," Luke smiled.

"And of course, you didn't ask him about that, either, did you?"

Luke shook his head helplessly and gave her a look that clearly said, "Are you nuts?"

"So now what?" Tessa asked.

"I dunno. I guess I wait," Luke replied.

"Okay," she nodded back.

When Luke showed no signs of volunteering more information, Tessa warily queried, "So, can I ask? What _was _in the box?"

Luke looked at her uncertainly for beat, not sure if he wanted to share either his gift or the story behind it with anyone else.

Tessa tried to put on her best puppy-dog eyes, but seeing his hesitation, she withdrew her request. "Never mind!" she said. "It's okay. You know, if it's like, a platinum chain mail g-string or something, I don't really need _that_ much information…"

Although Tessa was far off-base, Luke turned bright crimson in spite of himself, searched for a suitable projectile, and settled on a pillow, which he lobbed at her head.

"Hey, watch the cocoa!" she shouted.

"That would be a justifiable cocoa spilling," Luke retorted.

"Aw, c'mon, give a girl a hint, will ya?" Tessa chided. "Was it something writer-ly? You know, like a nice fountain pen or something?"

"No," Luke laughed. "Although that's a nice idea! It was much more…" Luke struggled to find an appropriate adjective before settling on "eccentric…. than that. I guess I can tell you it was kind of an anniversary gift," he finally conceded.

"That sounds promising," Tessa beamed back, "Whatever it was."

"I guess so," Luke said. "I guess I'm just surprised he remembered."

"Because…."

"He's not the type to remember birthdays and anniversaries. He even told me himself once," Luke added.

"But I thought you guys only hooked up a bunch of months ago. Is it like a six month anniversary or something," Tessa asked.

"No, it's a year," said Luke.

"A year? Since what_?"_ asked Tessa.

"Since we met," Luke replied.

"Oh, wow!" Tessa squeaked. "He remembered the day you met? How romantic is _that! _I thought you said the guy didn't have a romantic bone in his body!"

"Well," Luke admitted, "Maybe I exaggerated."

"So what did you get him?" Tessa asked.

"Way to make me feel like a jerk, why don't you?"

"Wait, Mr-I-Forget-Birthdays-and-Anniversaries got you something and you didn't get him anything?" she teased. "Are you sure you're the romantic one?"

"I know. No one's more surprised than me," said Luke.

"Sounds like somebody thought that January 19th, 2010 was pretty special," Tessa teased.

"Nah," said Luke modestly. "Reid just happened to notice the date, got an idea and bought it. It was an impulse buy," Luke rationalized.

"Yeah, right," Tessa groaned. "I'm sure that your super-high-powered workaholic neurosurgeon boyfriend routinely gets so distracted while surfing the 'net that this happens all the time. In fact, this is probably the second or third time this week, right? You know, free lollipop from the dry cleaner's, _Soap Opera Digest _in the supermarket checkout aisle, and something big and shiny from an internet jeweler — make that an upscale _Boston_ jeweler."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Luke admitted. "I guess it does sound a little out of character."

"A little?" Tessa asked incredulously. "You really don't get it, do you, Luke?"

"Get what?"

"That you've got that doctor of yours wrapped around your little finger."

"Yeah, right," Luke said. "No one wraps Reid Oliver around their finger – little or otherwise."

"Luke, my dear boy," Tessa counseled, "Your doc is in WAY deeper than you think. And maybe he doesn't even know it yet," she said, channeling Katie, "But I betcha anything that he's thought more about rings than you give him credit for."

"Reid?" asked Luke incredulously. "No way. He'd drop dead before considering marriage."

"So you think he'd imagine his obituary as reading, 'Dr. Reid Oliver, world-renowned neurosurgeon, died alone in his sleep, and was found in his home a week later by his cleaning lady, partially decomposed…."

"Well, no, I can't imagine he'd want that, but that's not the same as — " Luke protested.

"— living happily ever after with Luciano Eduardo Snyder?"

Luke shrugged.

Tessa sensed the time was right to move onto lighter topics. "Speaking of obituaries," she said, sensing her opening. "How's tonight's assignment going? I don't even have to ask what yours says." Tessa rolled her eyes.

"Guilty as charged," Luke smiled back. "Guess I'm getting predictable in my old age, eh?"

"Wanna share?" she asked.

Luke smiled, getting up from the bed to wake up his laptop. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours…"

* * *

After hanging up with Luke, Reid had raced to his staff meeting. Despite his best efforts, he got stuck behind a glacially slow elderly couple on the elevator – who mistakenly pushed the buttons for three wrong floors – and ended up arriving five minutes late. Unable to find an obscure seat in the back, Reid found himself under Chris's proximate scrutiny for the duration of the marathon session.

A new case had just been referred to him a few days back, and the more he learned about it the more he wanted to get back to his research. He felt like he'd only had a chance to touch on the surface of the situation. His assistant had handed him the patient's latest test results as he left for the staff meeting, and the patient's former records were expected by fax any moment. After Chris reprimanded him for trying to sneak a peek inside the folder of results, it took all of Reid's self-discipline to sit through the meeting when all he wanted to do was to lock himself into his office to continue reviewing his new patient's records.

"Ahem, Dr. Oliver!" Chris barked, spying Reid checking his watch for the eighth time in the last 15 minutes. "Do you have someplace more important you need to be?"

"Well yeah," Reid retorted. "I have brains to fix."

A few of the younger doctors snickered silently while some of the more seasoned counterparts nodded empathetically.

"We _all _have patient responsibilities," Chris admonished, "But the rest of us are grown-up enough to accept the fact that, as the leadership team of Memorial Hospital, we have additional responsibilities."

Six pairs of eyes warily shifted from the Chief of Staff to the Chief of Surgical Administration and then back.

"You have my attention, Doog — " Reid corrected himself mid-sentence. "DOC-tor Hughes. If these last two agenda items are critical enough to jeopardize the life of a patient, then let's cover them and get the hell out of here before we all get sued for malpractice."

Reid folded his arms and then gave Chris a death glare of his own.

"Okay, folks, then," Chris continued, "Now that Dr. Oliver has managed to find to squeeze the rest of us into his busy calendar, let's continue…."

* * *

"So, Iva Lucy?" Tessa asked.

"My two maternal grandmothers," Luke replied.

"Don't you just mean two grandmothers?" Tessa asked. "You do know that 'maternal grandmother' means your mom's mom, right."

"I know," Luke smiled ironically. "It's complicated."

"What part of your life isn't?" Tessa asked.

"Good question," Luke replied.

"I assume this is one piece you aren't sharing with the class?" she asked.

"It's a little personal, don't you think?"

"Yeah, well who w_ould _want to share these?" she asked rhetorically.

Both paused for a beat and then came to the same conclusion. "Bradley!"

"Bradley Parkinson died…" Tessa began.

"Millionaire Bradley Parkinson …" Luke did his best Bradley imitation.

"_Congressman_ Bradley Parkinson…" Tessa tried to one-up him in both tone and content.

"_Senator_ Bradley Parkinson passed away _peacefully _in his sleep last night…"

"…leaving behind his wife…"

Luke thought for awhile and added, "…Bertha…"

"…his wife the _supermodel,_ Bertha…." Tessa giggled.

"…and his _sixteen_ Pulitzer prizes," added Luke. "And though cause of death had not been confirmed, coroners felt it was likely connected to…"

"…the enormous stick buried in his ass!" Tessa concluded. Both she and Luke were now laughing uncontrollably and were soon gasping for air as they continued to add onto "Bradley's" obituary.

Mid-laugh, an insistent knock came at the door. Tessa glanced at Luke as if to ask, "Are you expecting anyone at this hour?" Luke shook his head in reply.

Luke managed to contain his laughter long enough to reply, "Yeah?"

"It's me," came another familiar voice.

Luke opened the door to find a confused Trevor standing in the doorway. Hearing Tessa's laughter and spying the rumpled bed where Luke had fallen over laughing – and still not quite convinced at what he most wanted to believe was true – he nervously asked, "Um, am I interrupting anything?"

"No, not at all," Luke gasped breathlessly. "C'mon in."

Trevor glanced at Tessa, who was leaning on the chair, holding her side. "So, what am I missing?"

"Not much," Luke replied. "Just imaging what _Senator_ Bradley Parkinson would be including in his obituary."

"Don't you mean _Lord _Bradley Parkinson?" asked Trevor, catching on and sending Tessa into another fit of giggles. He tossed his jacket on the bed, started to sit down next to Luke, and then decided it was just a bit too cozy for them both on the bed, and moved himself over to the reading chair.

"Aw, c'mon," said Luke. "Why don't we just make it _Grand Poobah_ Bradley?"

The three of them continued until finally Tessa shouted, "Okay! Uncle! My side is killing me! Truce!"

"No argument from me," Trevor agreed, having laughed himself into a stupor.

As the three of them tried to calm down and return their heart rates to normal, Luke looked at Tessa and Trevor, one on each side of the room, and tried to find a way to break the ice. "The Pacers are playing the Bulls tonight. You guys wanna stay and watch the game? I have some microwave popcorn I can throw in?"

Trevor and Tessa glanced uncertainly at each other..

"Um, sure," Tessa said.

"I guess so," Trevor added. "Why not?"

"One order of JiffyPop butter-flavored popcorn coming right up," Luke smiled and set to work.

Two hours later, after Trevor volunteered to walk Tessa back to her cottage, Luke sat down to check email before bed.

Among another series of expense approvals for Grimaldi, he found one from Ellen, updating him on the court case the Foundation's Legal Defense Fund was supporting; they were funding a suit by a woman whose company health insurance would did not cover treatments for her life partner's cervical cancer.

As Luke read the email, his feathers became increasingly ruffled – the ailing partner was currently undergoing a third round of intensive chemo treatments. Her cancer had been caught in a fairly early stage, but the couple had spent four years in the court system, trying to get coverage for localized treatments.

But by the time the Snyder Foundation had stepped in, the cancer had metastasized and become inoperable._ Damn bureaucratic, hypocritical, prejudiced morons_, Luke thought to himself as he settled himself down with another cup of cocoa. Soon, righteous indignation turned into avid curiosity and then concerted research on cancer treatments, specialty centers, and medical benefits for same-sex partners.

* * *

The next morning Alex gave advance notice of the final weekend assignment: each retreat participant was to write something out of character. So aspiring journalists could try poetry, the playwright could write a food column, etc. And unlike the previous one night, one shot assignments, he wanted to see an outline, a draft, and revisions.

Even as the assignment was being described, Tessa caught Luke's eye across the table, wondering what he would write about…and how he would manage to twist the assignment into once again writing about Reid, or his "complicated" family.

After packing her bookbag, she waited for him at the doorway and nudged him with an elbow as he walked past.

"So whatcha gonna write about?" she asked as they left the building and made their way from the retreat center. "A Shakespearean sonnet? A Victorian romance novel?"

"I dunno," Luke said noncommittally." I was thinking of taking Alex's advice."

Tessa looked at him as if he had grown two heads. "What're you thinking of?" she asked, suspiciously.

"I'm not sure yet," Luke tried to shrug it off.

"So, you gonna join us for lunch?" Trevor asked, catching up with them at the main crosswalk at the edge of campus.

Luke watched as the pedestrian light turned to green. He looked to the right in the direction of the student center, straight ahead towards their cottages, and then left then decided, "I think I need a change of scenery. I'm gonna go to the library."

Tessa and Trevor raised their eyebrows in surprise.

"Really?" Tessa asked.

"Yeah, really," Luke replied.

"You're not just trying to blow us off again, are you?" Trevor asked.

"Hey, I spent three hours with you two in my room watching the game go into double overtime last night. Believe me, if I were avoiding you, you two would have been tossed into the streets," Luke laughed.

The crossing light began flashing its pedestrian countdown and Luke turned to dashing across the street. "Catch ya' later!"

Tessa and Luke exchanged confused glances at each other, watched Luke quickly disappearing down the street, then realized the light was turning on them as well, and quickly joined the lunchtime rush headed in the direction of the the student center.

* * *

_Damn._

Reid had finished rounds and spent two hours reviewing his new case files before returning home to find that _Luke was right._

Luke was right about the wet towel on his side of bed, the shirts lining the couch, the pile of laundry in the bedroom, and the complete lack of vegetables (aside from the bottle of ketchup and an emaciated beefsteak tomato) in the fridge.

But even worse, the telltale stack of pizza boxes, the trash can overflowing with paper plates and plastic utensils, the non-vegetable contents (which consisted solely of the last few bottles from two six-packs of beer) of said fridge, the yoga mat in the middle of the office floor, and the medical journals covering every available flat surface in the living room, kitchen, office, and bedroom were condemning testimony as to how sorely Luke's presence was missed.

To be fair, Reid had done pretty well the first week or so. At least he'd kept up with the pizza boxes and the laundry. But without Luke's not-so-subtle nudges, Reid soon reverted to his surgeon-24/7 routine, with the deterioration accelerating rapidly in the last day or so since he'd been introduced to his new patient.

As he walked in now, he dropped his keys on the front entry table, left his briefcase by the front door, and plopped an additional pizza box on the teetering stack already on the coffee table. Making his way to the kitchen for a beer, he surveyed the landscape and thought, _Shit. Luke is gonna kill me._

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocked, selected the speed dial, grabbed a slice of pizza, and plopped on the couch to take a gulp of beer.

"What is it now?" came the familiar voice on the other end of the line. "It's nearly eleven o'clock, Reid. Somebody better be dying for real this time."

Reid, who could hear Jacob grunting in the background, looked down at his watch in surprise. "Oh, shit. Is it really? I didn't mean to call so late. I was working late at the hospital tonight and I just got home."

"Sorry, Reid," Katie replied. "Didn't mean to take your head off. I think Jacob really is coming down with something, so it's been a rough few nights. Tough case?"

"Yeah," Reid said, his voice cracking somewhat with exhaustion. "One of the most difficult I've seen in years. But that's not why I'm calling."

"Good," replied Katie, "Because as much as I'd love to give a second opinion on your patient, I'm all booked up tomorrow."

"I need your help again, Katie," Reid said, repeating his familiar refrain.

"Haven't we been through this already, Reid?" asked Katie. "You own a needle and thread, I have no interest in seeing _Spider-Man 4, _and I'm sure Luke still loves you."

"No, it's not that," Reid said, pausing for a moment to reflect guiltily on the fact that the shirt, and the bag of needles, buttons, and thread still sat on the arm of the chair where he'd left them after movie night with Katie. "I want to make dinner," he blurted out.

"Dinner?" asked Katie, confused. "It's 11 pm! Why don't you just pop in one of those awful TV dinners you like."

"Not for me," Reid replied, exasperated. "For Luke."

"For Luke? Tonight? Hasn't he eaten already?" asked Katie, stifling a yawn, then realizing that Luke should still be in Iowa, added, "Wait, is he back already? I thought he wasn't back until next Saturday."

"He's not."

"Okay, Reid, now I'm totally confused. What on earth are you talking about?" Katie asked.

"I want to make a real dinner for Luke. For when he gets back on Saturday?"

"Come again?"

Reid swallowed before replying. "When he comes back. I want to make him dinner."

"You can't just get takeout from Al's?" Katie asked, groggily, still not quite understanding the ramifications of Reid's question.

"No, I don't want him to think that I've been eating takeout and sushi for the four weeks he was away," Reid answered.

"But you _will_ have spent four weeks eating takeout and sushi, won't you?"

"Well, yeah," admitted Reid. "But that's besides the point. Luke usually does most of the cooking and I don't want him to feel like he has to cook for me his first night back, and…"

"And….?"

"And, I don't really want to go out because I don't really want to share him on his first night back."

"Luke's a good cook?"

"Yeah – a really good one, too! You had his soufflé – that's just a sampler. I'm a lucky man!" Reid briefly remembered many an evening spent with his arms wrapped around Luke's waist as he stood at the stove, while Luke turned, holding a wooden spoon over his shoulder for Reid to taste.

"Who woulda thought Lily Walsh's son would be a good cook?" Katie asked in wonderment.

"Forget Lily. It's Emma Snyder's _grandson_ who's the good cook."

"Ahh, that makes more sense," Katie acknowledged.

"So are you gonna help me, or not?" Reid asked impatiently.

"You're serious, aren't you," Katie said, sitting up in bed. Jacob gave a cough then cooed contentedly as the shift in body position helped drain the fluid from his sinuses.

"Yeah, I think I am," Reid said.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked.

"Well," Reid replied tentatively, "I was thinking maybe lamb shanks, roasted veggies, citrus salad and…"

Katie, recognizing Chef Charlie's menu, concluded, "and bananas Foster?"

"Yeah," Reid replied. "Do you think he'd like it?"

"You, Reid Oliver, "said Katie accusatorially, "were paying attention at the taping!"

"Well, yeah, it's not like I really had a choice," mumbled Reid. "Didn't you say something about being able to download the recipes from the _WOAK_ website?"

"Awww," Katie smiled. She mentally started making checklists in her head. "We'll make a good boyfriend out of you yet! Don't worry about a thing. I know _exactly_ what you should do. Leave everything to me and I'll call you tomorrow morning. I have so much to do before then! Good night!"

And before Reid could get a word in edgewise, Katie had hung up.

Reid felt like he should feel comforted. He'd asked for Katie's help and she'd said to "leave everything to her." So, he thought to himself, _Why does that scare the shit out of me?_

* * *

The battery pack on his laptop was starting to wear low when the library lights flickered to signal the end of the day. Surprised, Luke looked down at his watch. 11:45 p.m. That would explain the rumbling in his stomach that the two granola bars in his bag failed to keep at bay.

He'd free-written nearly 10,000 words and written an introduction, so, though starting to feel sleepy, he was satisfied with his progress. He grabbed a microwave hamburger at the student center on the way home, ate as he walked, and fell asleep quickly as soon as he entered his cottage.

The next morning, Luke was running late, and barely had time to shrug at his classmates before taking his seat. Alex broke them into pairs and had them spread out around the reception area, and critique each other's work before calling them in individually for conferences.

Luke fidgeted uncertainly as he gave Melissa feedback on her well-intentioned, but ill-formed attempt at literary criticism.

When Alex called him back into the classroom, Luke looked uncertainly out the window at the ice falling over the damn into the river.

"So, Luke, this is….um, a different piece of work for you," he began.

"I know," Luke replied nervously.

"So, given a choice of any topic in the world to write about, this is what you'd choose?"

"I guess so."

"Okay," said Alex, without pressing. "It's a good start. What do you think?"

"Well, it's an interesting subject," Luke began.

"And?" Alex prompted.

"Well, it's almost like I couldn't help myself, it practically wrote itself," Luke continued.

"That's good," said Alex. "So, what next?"

Luke felt himself starting to open up and relax. "I'm just concerned that I won't do it justice."

"Why am I not surprised?" Alex smiled. "What do you think your classmates would say?"

Luke was expecting another question about his own feelings and was surprised by the question. "Gee," he said. "I'm not sure."

"Well, take a minute and think about it," Alex suggested. Alex sat back and made a good show of going through his notes, without a care in the world.

Luke heard Tessa's voice in his head: "Have you been paying any attention during the group discussions?"

He'd made a concerted effort to pay more attention since Tessa had kicked him under the table. Though his shin had stopped throbbing, the scar her boots left still occasionally itched as it healed, providing an intermittent reminder.

As he sat back and thought, fragments of discussions passed through his memories….

"Good start, but you didn't push it far enough…."

"Great visual description, but you're not giving me a sense of who you are. You're a great observer, but I don't get your point of view…."

"I feel like you're keeping me away at arm's length and you're not letting me in…"

Alex made an inconspicuous, but distinctly audible shuffling noise that interrupted Luke's reverie.

"I think they would say that it's well-structured and articulate," Luke started, "but they'd probably say it's…."

Alex nodded, barely perceptibly, waiting for Luke to continue.

"..it's….clinical."

Alex nodded again.

"And I should take it to the next level and really push myself beyond my comfort zone…."

Alex smiled.

"…So I guess that means I need to really have to get off the sideline and jump in…. Right?"

"Well," Alex finally said, thoughtfully. "Aside from the mixed metaphors, I think you're on the right track."

Luke shrugged sheepishly.

"So, Luke," Alex added.

Luke looked up anxiously.

"Have you gotten what you expected out of this retreat?" Alex asked.

"Well, I'm not sure what I expected," Luke replied.

"Something prompted you to come."

"Oh, yeah, well, um," Luke said with a bit of embarrassment. "It wasn't actually my idea. It was a gift."

"Nice gift," Alex said, and added after a pause, "But _you_ obviously could have chosen to stay home. But you didn't. How come?"

For the second time in the last 15 minutes, Luke found himself surprised by the unexpected question. His original instinct was to helplessly reply, "Well, Reid gave it to me. How could I say, 'no'?"

But on reflection, he realized that as soon as it sank in – that Reid was offering him the opportunity to write for four weeks, and had actually made it possible for him to leave behind his recently acquired, but not necessarily sought-after responsibilities to do so – that he quickly figured out that he really wanted to go.

But even with a few moments' thought, Luke couldn't pinpoint why he wanted to come. He'd enjoyed the writing – and using gray matter that had been lying dormant for the last few years. And he'd adored the friendships and unencumbered camaraderie – but he couldn't have known in advance that that is what he would find in Iowa. And the previous evening, spent deep in the stacks of the university central library, surrounded by the smell of decades' old tomes brought back remembrances of late night term papers that he'd long ago banished to the realm of the distant past.

But thinking back to the week following Christmas, watching the fragrant needles slowly drop from their decorated tree, he couldn't remember what had prompted him to come.

"I'm not sure," Luke finally replied, honestly.

"But you came anyways," Alex said, with just a hint of a question in his voice.

"Yeah," Luke agreed. "I came."

Alex waited quietly for Luke to continue.

Luke struggled with his thoughts, increasingly aware of the persistent silence.

"I guess I came to find myself," Luke finally said – as much to himself as in reply to Alex's gently cocked eyebrow.

"And did you?" Alex asked.

"I'm still looking, I think," Luke replied cryptically, "But I'm starting to narrow down where to search."

"You know, Luke," Alex added, "You're not going to find a roadmap to where you're going. Sometimes you just have to follow the wind and see where it carries you."

Luke tipped his head quizzically, but Alex just nodded and added, "I'll look forward to seeing the completed piece on Monday. Don't spend all weekend on it. Any questions?"

Luke shook his head, still thinking about Alex's prior comments.

"Okay, then," Alex replied. And with that, he returned to his files, lifting his head only to say, "Can you send Melissa in on your way out?"

"Sure," Luke said still thinking about maps and the wind."

He wandered on autopilot back to where Melissa was thinking.

"You're up," he said tonelessly to her.

"Did he ask you all about your piece?"

"Kind of," Luke replied.

"He didn't review all of your work here, did he?" she asked nervously.

"No, not that," Luke said.

"Well, then what did you talk about?" she asked.

"Well," Luke started, "I'm not quite sure."

Melissa frowned in confusion, picked up her backpack and left Luke with his thoughts.

* * *

Friday morning, just after 7:30 a.m., Katie indeed called as promised. She knew she would catch Reid finishing his coffee and scanning the morning headlines.

In the course of 10 minutes, she barked out a series of orders including a shopping list and strict instructions to make sure to leave work in time to pick up the house on Friday evening, and closed by announcing she would be arriving on Saturday just after lunchtime.

"I thought you said to plan for dinner at seven," Reid protested.

"You'll need me there earlier," Katie advised. "Trust me."

"Why is it that every time you say that, I worry?" Reid scowled at the perky blonde on the other end of the phone line.

Katie, sure that Reid was frowning at her from his side of town, hung up, smiling knowingly.

* * *

After the morning session, Luke joined his friends for lunch at the student center. He tried to listen as much as he could as they related their own tales about what Alex had talked about during their various debriefings.

All were surprised to hear about the vast range of topics covered. Some had gotten advice on how to find agents, or what magazines to query. A few had talked about the best places to write or how to overcome writer's block. One had spent their fifteen minutes discussing the movie _Field of Dreams_.

In the back of his mind, Luke was eager to get back to his nook in the library. Even in his days at Oakdale U he had spent relatively little time in the libraries. With the warmth of Emma's kitchen (not to mention a nightly offering of cookies, brownies, and other nibbles), he'd found the stale, dusty confines of the stacks to be anything but comforting and inspiring.

Yet, somehow, this weekend, he felt like this was where he was supposed to be. After a somewhat distracted lunch, he quickly entered, grabbed a set of references, and then made himself comfortable in the back aisle. He imagined Reid had probably spent countless years buried in similar surroundings, especially without a loving family to welcome him home.

* * *

Reid worked double-time all day. His patient rounds were even more efficient and devoid of idle chit-chat than usual, and he spent the rest of the day reviewing new research and techniques.

Finally, at 6:30 p.m., his assistant warily poked his nose in.

"What is it?" Reid barked.

"Dr. Oliver," he replied. "You asked me to let you know when I was headed out. I've got to get home – it's my turn to make dinner and my housemates will kill me if I welsh on them again. I'm sorry - I know how important this case is. I've left two more stacks of the articles you requested on your credenza, and I'll get to the last ones tomorrow morning."

Reid grunted in a manner most people would have taken as rude, but his assistant recognized it for what it was – gratitude, and softly said, "You're welcome," as he closed the door and let himself out.

Just over an hour later, Reid's stomach refused to accept "later" as an acceptable answer any longer. He had finished reviewing the files on his desk and he turned grimly to the foot-deep stack on the credenza.

Sighing heavily, he picked up the stack and took himself to Toshi's for dinner.

* * *

As the light faded, Luke could hear the sound of the elevator doors opening and closing, signaling the arrivals of the undergrads who had completed their evening meals. He could hear the sounds of whispering, and occasionally the sound of hushed giggles emanating through the elevator shaft – it appeared that one particularly amorous couple happened to favor the back corner of the fifth floor chemistry stacks one level down.

Luke checked his messages and found none from Reid, but several from his classmates, urging him to join them for dinner. Recalling Alex's advice not to spend "all weekend" on his piece, he checked his watch and made his way to the student center to join them.

* * *

Reid awoke mid-morning on Saturday, and briefly panicked, thinking he was late for work. He had never been one to sleep in, and even after Luke had convinced him to take Saturday mornings off, he could hardly describe their diurnal bedroom activities as "sleep".

But without expectant patients, and without Luke's cheerful face to wake him, Reid woke up disoriented.

He had returned home late again, despite Katie's warnings. And after filling up on sushi and ice cream, Reid had returned home to find the same lifeless home that had greeted him nightly since Luke's departure.

He'd turned on CNN in the background, and slowly gone about making a dent in disguising his bachelor ways.

Along the way, he'd finished the last few beers – rationalizing that Katie would kill him if they were the lone residents of his fridge, so he thought an empty fridge would be better – and managed to clear out the pizza boxes, paper plates and takeout boxes cluttering the kitchen.

He'd also managed to consolidate all the medical journals in the office, though that meant his yoga mat was suitably buried two to three layers deep in places.

This morning, as he returned his mostly-dry towel from Luke's bed to the bathroom, he surveyed his surroundings. Aside from the shirts on the couch, and the stubbornly lingering smell of stale pizza and beer (not to mention the journal-covered office, which he had hidden behind a closed door), it didn't look too bad.

He stumbled into the kitchen and put on the hood to try to address the smell, and made himself a pot of coffee – extra strong – to prepare himself for the day. Katie would be there in just a few hours, to help him "practice" for Luke's homecoming.

The thought of a chipper Katie running around his kitchen, tidying up and telling him what to do, gave him a headache.

* * *

Tessa stopped by Luke's cottage late Saturday afternoon. Luke had set himself a goal of finishing so he could join his friends for their final Saturday together.

"So?" Tessa said expectantly as Luke opened the door.

"I think it's pretty good," Luke said, modestly.

"And?" she asked.

"And I think I can actually send it to Reid!"

"Well, it's about time!" Tessa declared.

"And before you ask," Luke said, "No. You can't read it."

"Roger, wilco," she said. "You ready to go?"

"Almost," Luke said. "Give me 15 minutes – you wanna help yourself to something to drink, or I can meet you at the shuttle stop. Your call."

"I'll wait," said Tessa. She sat in the reading chair and pulled out a book.

* * *

"I must be fucking out of my mind," Reid muttered. "I can't believe you let me talk you into this."

Reid was in the kitchen chopping carrots, or rather, he was stabbing at them awkwardly as they threatened to roll off the cutting board onto the floor.

Katie had arrived, as promised, just after lunchtime. Her first order of business was to present Reid with a novelty apron which she had insisted on putting on him (despite his vocal protests) and then secured with firmly tied square knots at the neck and waist.

"Katie, I feel ridiculous!" Reid had groaned. "I look like a moron. Or Chris!"

"Very funny," Katie said, ignoring the insult.

"Besides, it'll keep the oil splatters from ruining that lovely shirt we bought you at Penney's last year…..On the other hand, maybe I should let you take the apron off – it might force you to finally upgrade that shirt to something a little more stylish. You know, your boyfriend's loaded."

"I don't need his money,"f Reid snapped.

"Touchy, touchy," Katie chided.

"Besides," Reid protested, "What's wrong with my shirt? It's clean and it's comfortable."

"It screams 'I'm middle-aged and have no life.'"

"Hey, you shop at Penney's all the time."

"I rest my case."

"Have you been talking to Luke again?"

"I don't need to get advice from Luke to know you better than you know yourself," Katie said.

Reid started to retort but then his brain finished processing Katie's last sentence and he started to consider that she might actually be right.

Katie playfully tapped the front of Reid's apron, teasing, "You'll be happy to know that it was down to the one I bought or one that said, 'I don't have a fucking attitude, you stupid fuck.' "

Reid was about to bark back but stopped himself and scowled instead.

Katie laughed when she saw his response. "Oh yeah, the one that said, 'Despite the look on my face, you're still talking' was a close third choice."

Unwilling to give her the satisfaction of being right, Reid turned his back to her and scowled at the fridge instead.

With a smug smile, Katie couldn't resist adding: "And I also considered the one saying 'Note to self: It is illegal to stab people for being stupid!"

"Har har," Reid grumbled. "You're such a comedienne. If I wanted to be annoyed I could have just gone to work today."

"Aw, Reid," Katie admonished. "Don't be such a baby. If you didn't really love me, you wouldn't have called me and begged me for my help."

"I don't beg," Reid muttered.

"Yeah right," Katie smiled. "And I don't shop…speaking of which, I bought you a few extra things I thought you might find useful."

Reid was about to complain about how she'd obviously sent him on a wild goose chase when he'd gone to fill her grocery checklist, but instead, his mouth fell open in amazement as she pulled flowers and table settings out of her bag, like a Martha Stewart with a faux-Prada Mary Poppins bag.

As much as he refused to admit it, the dining room looked infinitely better after Hurricane Katie blew through. Though he had done a B-to-B+ job clearing up the public spaces, the modern black, white, and stainless still looked sterile until Katie carefully arranged her flowers, vase, placemats, table runner, and napkins (folded to look like candlesticks) – and Reid felt his scowl softening.

Slowly, throughout the afternoon, Reid relinquished control, accepting that Katie was indeed more proficient than he was in certain matters. He let her show him the proper way to wield a chef's knife (but only after she warned him that he would risk his illustrious surgical career if he lopped off a digit), pre-cooked the root vegetables in the microwave before tossing them in the baking dish, and then dutifully smacked each clove of garlic he was handed before gingerly peeling off the skins.

Then he watched in horror as she doused the vegetables with salt, pepper, olive oil, and nearly a head full of minced garlic. "What the hell are you doing?" he gasped.

"What?" she asked in surprise. "I'm putting the garlic on the veggies."

"But the recipe says four cloves!"

"Four cloves?" she asked in surprise. "That's nothing! You gotta use more than that."

"Are you crazy?" asked Reid.

"What?" replied Katie. "The Perettis are part Italian. We live on garlic."

"If I prescribed medications that way," Reid grumbled. "I'd put my patients in a coma."

"Ah, but Reid, my dear," That's where you have to learn. We are _not _doing brain surgery. We're cooking. 'Four cloves' is just a suggestion. You have to use all your senses. Let your smell, taste, sight, and even your feel guide your way. Here," she said. "Give me your hands."

"What?" Reid asked, holding his hands out warily.

Katie took his hands and pressed them down into the baking dish of greasy vegetables.

"Ew!" Reid grimaced.

"Now here," she added, stepping behind him. She put her arms around him and guided his hands as they thoroughly coated the vegetables in the garlic and olive oil mixture.

"If you start playing the Righteous Brothers and try to kiss me," Reid cautioned, "We're done."

"Aw, Reid," Katie stepped back in surprise. "You've seen _Ghost!_"

"Well," Reid admitted sheepishly. "I was dragged there by a boyfriend in med school."

"Will wonders never cease?" Katie asked rhetorically, smiling at Reid as he avoided her stare and concentrated on making sure every bit of sweet potato, Brussels sprout and beet root was thoroughly covered with the gooey mixture.

"Looks good," Katie said approvingly. "You can go wash up."

Relieved, Reid rushed to the sink and doused his hands in dish soap, thoroughly scrubbing off the pungent goo and then dutifully wiping his hands on the stainless steel knife blade as instructed, to reduce the smell.

He listened patiently as Katie gave lessons in food-styling the appetizers, emulsifying salad dressing, and choosing wine for cooking (nothing you wouldn't drink!), and played along as she explained staging - chop all the salad ingredients, but don't combine it until the last minute or else the citrus will make the lettuce soggy; grind the coffee and put it in the coffee pot and set the timer so you won't forget to turn it on after dinner; if you can't make dessert in advance, set aside all the components on a separate shelf of the fridge.

As Reid was putting the finishing touches on the appetizers on the coffee table, all that remained was to wait for the lamb and vegetables to finish baking. "Now what?" he asked.

"Glad you asked," Katie smiled. She pulled a bottle of champagne and a second, smaller one of crème de cassis from her bag along with two champagne glasses. "Now you'll want to find an alternative for Luke," she explained, "But there's no reason you and I can't enjoy a glass of bubbly."

She grabbed a dish towel from the kitchen and began untwisting the wire holding the cork on.

"Do you want a hand with that," Reid asked nervously.

Katie glared back at him and carefully popped the cork into the dish towel, then poured them each a glass before heading out to the living room.

"Great job, today, Reid," Katie said, holding up her glass for a toast. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Katie," Reid smiled wearily back. He took a sip of the cool champagne and enjoyed the taste on his tongue and the bubbles as they tickled his tongue and throat. He was accustomed to standing for hours on end in surgery, but somehow the three hours spent chopping, stirring, cleaning, and decorating made him feel like he'd run a marathon. He took a second sip before sitting down and slumping back in the couch; he closed his eyes, letting Katie's kind words ring in his head.

At the sound of a doorbell, though, his enjoyment quickly dissipated. Reid frowned. He wasn't expecting anyone.

Katie glanced at her watch and smiled. "Right on time…"


	33. Don't Make Me Poison You

_**Author's Notes: **__Sorry this has taken so long to post (I can't believe it's been almost a year!). As I teased when I posted the last chapter, I went through a big life change – my family moved back to the US, so getting everyone resettled has been a more-than-full-time job. But I'm finally back to writing again and hope to be posting more frequently over the next few months. Thanks for sticking with me and coming back to check in._

* * *

Reid leaned back on the couch, enjoying the feel of sweet-sour-tickly feeling of the champagne trickling down his throat. Champagne was an indulgence he'd gone mostly without since he had started dating Luke – short of enduring an accompanying wedding, that is. He had even allowed himself the start of a self-satisfied smile, pretty pleased at all he'd managed to accomplish – with Katie's assistance.

The lamb was in the oven, stewing away, and filling the house with a rich aroma that screamed "comfort food." A salad was sitting in a wooden serving bowl, adorned with colorful chunks of mandarin orange, pink grapefruit, red onion, and pale green avocado.

A series of small glass prep-bowls, suitable for any Food Network-worthy celebrity chef, sat neatly lined up along the side counter, variously holding the a few pats of unsalted, organic butter ("God, no, Reid! _Never_ salted butter when you're cooking! And definitely none of that fake butter-tasting spread!" Katie explained.), some brown sugar, a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon, and a splash each of banana liqueur and rum.

Reid unconsciously salivated at the bunch of bananas, waiting for their sticky-sweet sauce. He was just imagining how firm, ripe, and sticky-sweet they would be when a knock at the door followed on the heels of the unattended doorbell.

"Who the hell is that?" Reid asked.

"I dunno," said Katie, looking away and hoping Reid couldn't see the self-satisfied grin she was trying to hide.

The knock came again, this time more insistently.

"Are you going to get that?" Katie suggested innocently.

"Nope. Wasn't planning on it. No one I'm expecting, so no one I want to see."

"What if it's Luke coming home for a weekend surprise?"

Though Reid briefly considered the possibility, the momentary loss of sanity quickly passed and he came to his senses. "He has a key. He can let himself in."

"Reid! You're the host."

"Yeah, so what?" Reid protested "I'm the host. You're the guest. You're the _only_ guest. We're both here. So why does it matter that I'm the host?"

"Just go answer the damn door, Reid."

"What stupid moron comes knocking at a person's door unannounced at dinnerti —" Reid cut himself off mid-sentence as he yanked open the door to see who was there.

"Oh," Reid muttered. "Question answered." He tried shutting the door but a hand (attached to a rather irritated owner) reached out to stop the door mid-swing. Unable to forcibly shut the door without causing bodily injury, Reid resorted to barking, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What do you mean, what the hell am I doing here?" came the reply, "I was invited."

"Okay," said Reid. "Now I _know_ you're a fucking idiot. This is my house and I'm trying to have a nice dinner with Katie. I certainly didn't invite _you_. So if_ I_ didn't invite you, you are clearly delusional as previously diagnosed..." As the last words came out of his mouth, another possibility occurred to him.

Four glaring eyes spied the blonde trying to sneak unnoticed from the couch to the kitchen.

"You didn't tell him I was coming?" Henry asked incredulously.

Katie shrugged innocently.

"You _assured _me Reid was desperate for dinner guests!" Henry protested.

"You said I was _what?" _Reid asked.

"That's it," Henry declared, "I'm leaving."

"No-no-no-no!" Katie exclaimed running to the doorway and grabbing onto his arm and pulling him into the living room. "Stay! Reid would _love_ to have you for dinner."

"Yeah," muttered Henry, "Roasted on a spit with half an apple stuffed in my mouth."

"_No,_ I wouldn't!" retorted Reid, "Though I could go for the apple in the mouth if it would finally get you to shut up!"

"_Yes,_ you would!" admonished Katie. "Because you are a _great_ host and you would _love _to have a second guest here try out everything we've put together today." With one arm, she pushed Henry towards the couch; she used her other arm and shoulder to nudge Reid into the kitchen.

"C'mon, _Reid_," insisted Katie. "I need your _help_ to get a drink for our lovely _guest."_

"The only thing I need to _get_ for our guest_, Katie,_ is a one-way ticket to _homesville."_

Henry was none too pleased with the situation, but he had known Katie long enough to know he would pay for it later if he were to sneak away while she was in the kitchen with Reid.

Reid, meanwhile, continued to protest on deaf ears.

"Oh quit being such a baby, Reid," Katie said, "It's just one more for dinner. We made enough for an army."

Reid merely glared in reply. Then spying two lovingly garnished dessert plates in the corner, he tried a different tactic: "But, as you insisted, we have done our beautifully perfect and unfailingly romantic table setting only for two. We couldn't possibly have a mismatched table," he tried.

Katie smiled, "Yeah, well, despite how perfectly romantic it is, you and I aren't getting' it on tonight. So, lucky for you, I brought a spare set of everything." She reached into her Mary Poppins-does-Prada bag and pulled out an extra champagne flute and wine glass, along with a spare set of china and napkin.

"In what universe does that make me lucky?" asked Reid.

"Because it means you will have the pleasure of dining with yours truly, and my dearest friend in the world – present company excepted," she replied.

"I know you have a blind spot where Hank is concerned and for some reason you love the lunatic to death, but why on earth do you seem to think it's actually important to foist him upon me for the next hour?"

"Reid," Katie interrupted, "This is a nice, four-course dinner. It should take at least three hours, not counting delightful after-dinner cocktails and conv.…."

"You're not helping your case, Goldilocks…"

Katie stopped and cut to the chase. "Because I need to talk to my 'besties' about the wedding, and I'm sick of having to repeat myself because I can never tell the two of you anything at the same time. I feel like a freakin' broken record." Katie replied.

Reid opened his mouth to take advantage of the opening Katie had just left, but didn't get a chance to inject any sarcasm before she continued: "Besides, Henry can be your taster. If he keels over dead, you'll know not to serve the same thing to Luke."

"Thanks a lot for the vote of confidence," Reid grumbled.

"Plus, I guarantee you will take everything more seriously if Henry's here," Katie said. "You wouldn't go out of your way to impress _me_, but there is no way you'd let _Henry_ see you as anything less than Dr. McPerfect. So, if you really want to impress Luke, and make him think you are anything more than the junk-food Neanderthal we both know you are, have been all week, and will be forevermore, you _need_ Henry to be here. Got it?"

"Damn," said Reid in surprise.

"What?" asked Katie.

"That actually made sense," Reid admitted.

"I know," smiled Katie, making her way back out to set an additional place at the table. "Now be a good boy and poor Henry a glass of bubbly."

* * *

"Oh, c'mon, Luke," Tessa cajoled. "Just finish it tomorrow."

"Hang on," Luke replied waving a finger to signal he only needed another few minutes. "I'm almost done."

"You've been saying that for the last two hours," Tessa moaned. She had been lying on the bed, propped up by her elbows and reading Luke's latest copy of _GQ_, for the third time through. She flipped over, arms open wide and hanging her head and shoulders over the bed, looking at Luke from her new upside-down vantage point.

"No, really," Luke said, waving her away. "I mean it this time." He had worked overtime over the last two days, and had planned to be finished so he could spend his last Saturday night and Sunday hanging out with his newfound friends, rather than slaving over his piece.

Luke re-read his piece. Again. He was a pretty-good first draft writer and Alex frequently chastised him for not re-writing to make sure he was an outstanding third, fourth, or fifth draft writer. But fixing grammar, ambiguous antecedents, continuity and inconsistencies were definitely not his favorite part of writing. Pondering optimal word choice – when hot chocolate, late-night chat-fests, and snowball fights beckoned – had felt like a gross mis-prioritization for the last few weeks.

In this case, however, he made an exception. Reid had never read anything he'd written, other than the project memoranda. What if Reid hated it and thought that these four weeks had been a mistake? A waste of money. And an unnecessary imposition on his time. What if it made Reid realize he was a completely vacuous hack?

Luke reread the piece one more time to be safe, while Tessa drummed impatiently on Luke's magazine with her fingers.

Finally, he took a deep breath, attached the piece to a brief cover email, hit Send and followed up with a text alert

"Ready to go?" Luke asked, grabbing his jacket off the bed.

"Yup," Tessa replied, putting her hat and scarf back on. She stopped at the doorway on her way out and looked around, adding, "You know, I'm gonna miss hanging out here."

"Yeah," Luke agreed, turning out the light. "Me too."

* * *

Reid had filled an extra glass and was dragging his feet as he made his way back into the living room to "welcome" Henry when he felt the familiar buzz of his cell phone in his pocket (Katie had insisted he put it on mute for realisms's sake since he certainly wouldn't want to be interrupted on the night of Luke's return!).

_Just sent you a little something to read. Heading out w/friends. TTYL. Love, Luke_

Reid momentarily forgot about the annoyance in the living room and felt a brief giddy warmth – _Luke _finally_ trusts me enough to read his work._

His glee was followed by an equally cold wave of dread, which quickly doused his good cheer. _What if it stinks?_

Reid backpedalled and sat down at the kitchen table, putting down the bottle of champagne and glass he was carrying, and staring blankly at the refrigerator door.

He took a sip from the champagne glass he was holding, momentarily forgetting that he had poured it for Henry. The bubbly was still cold and tingly, but suddenly seemed much more tart than he recalled a few minutes ago.

Reid thought back to Katie's engagement party, when Maddie Coleman had waxed on (and on and on) – rapturously – about Luke's writing. Given the way Maddie had described Luke's writing, and knowing Noah's penchant for melodrama, Reid wondered if he should've kept his mouth shut about wanting to see Luke's work. _What if it's some drippy bodice-ripper about unrequited love and star-crossed lovers. On the other hand, if it were a steamy leather-chaps-ripper, now that could have some potential…._

_Or what if he's been writing pretentious existential bullshit like the brown-nosers in college lit? Or, even worse… poetry._

_What if Luke was all excited about what he'd written and it just plain sucked?_ "Crap," he muttered out loud. _I'm screwed._

* * *

The night Katie had abruptly announced her engagement (and her plans for Luke and Reid's imminent living arrangements), Henry had turned up – fashionably late – with one Madeline Coleman in tow.

In the early days of Luke and Reid's relationship, Maddie's name had come up a handful of times, but Reid had yet to learn much about her, as Luke's history with Maddie invariably ended up intertwined with his history with Noah. Reid's reflexive anti-Noah-gag reflex inevitably kicked in every time her name came up as well. So, without any discussion, Luke quickly learned to talk less about Maddie and more about safer, neutral topics – at first abruptly and awkwardly, and eventually without skipping a beat – as one swerves around a pothole on a familiar road.

After Luke had helped Katie set out drinks, he bumped into Henry on his way out of the kitchen and ended up giving him an update on how his inheritance was being put to good use on the Snyder Pavilion project. Faced with a choice between helping Katie (and enduring watching Katie and Chris making goo-goo eyes at each other while they checked on dinner), listening to Luke and Henry talk each other's ears off, or letting Maddie blather on, Reid had decided Maddie would be the least painful among the three pretty miserable options.

"…so there we were at Al's," she was saying as Reid was silently counting the paisley's on Katie's sofa cushions. "…And oh my God, you could _not _believe how Liv was going on and on and on about how awesome prom was going to be. Just between you and me – she was a total B-I-T-C-H. And she was all up in Luke's face because he was totally stuck on this jerk…"

At the mention of Luke's name, Reid perked up and realized he hadn't been paying any attention to the story, though he could tell exactly how many paisleys adorned each of the three cushions on the couch.

"Jerk? What was that about Noah?" he managed to ask, trying to tame the "I just tasted something disgusting" look that overcame his face as the name passed through his lips.

"Not Noah, you dope," replied Maddie playfully, "_Kevin." _She paused a beat as she noted the blank (but oddly relieved look on his face). "You haven't been listening to anything I've been saying, have you?" she added, mock-accusingly.

A brief moment of guilt flashed through Reid's mind before he asked, "Who's Kevin? I thought Luke and I – and what's his name – were the only gay guys in Oakdale."

"You probably are," Maddie laughed. "Kevin's not gay." Maddie raised her eyebrow as if Reid were a little slow.

Reid, who was unaccustomed to being on the receiving end of said expression continued, "I thought you said Luke was stuck — "

Maddie crossed her arms and opened her mouth to reply before Reid finally caught on. "Oh."

"Yeah," she nodded. "Now you got it."

Reid found himself wondering about the straight jerk his boyfriend had pined for_. Was he hot? Was he another tall, blue-eyed brunette who looked like an underwear model? Did he suffer from sexual orientation confusion? Bi tendencies?_

Maddie continued on, oblivious to Reid's concerned daydreaming. "So, yeah, Luke was totally hung up on Kevin, who was like a massive dick-wad. And since I was dating Casey, who was still serving out his sentence, Luke — "

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Reid interjected. "Back up the pony, sister. Casey, as in Casey _Hughes_, grandson of Saint Bob, was doing time in the pokey?"

"Well, yeah, but it wasn't like he was a criminal or anything!" Maddie protested.

"So he landed in the slammer for baking too many chocolate chip cookies for the poor?"

"No, of course not," said Maddie. "He got two months for skipping bail – and a most inconvenient two months it happened to be as we were finally getting serious and it was prom season."

"And prom is, of course, _like, _the most important thing in the world," Reid replied, "So the judge, who was undoubtedly another one of Saint Bob's golf buddies, should have taken that into consideration when sentencing his grandson?"

"Hey!" Maddie protested. "What is your problem? I'm just trying to be friendly 'cause I know you're Luke's new guy and he's crazy about you. All _I'm_ trying to do is tell you a story about how great Luke is, and all you're doing is staring at the couch and bad-mouthing Casey and Bob – who, by the way, I hear, treats you like a son."

Suitably chastised, Reid was unusually and momentarily stunned speechless. "Um, uh, um…"

Maddie's tone softened. "'I'm sorry, go on,' would be acceptable."

"Yeah, um, I guess so," Reid replied. "I'm sorry. Go on."

Maddie smiled in a comforting way. "So…" she continued, without missing a beat. "So Luke, being one of my nearest and dearest friends, and the incredibly wonderful gentleman that we both know he is, offered to be my prom date, and…"

_Gentleman? Date? Prom? _Maddie had caught Reid's attention again. "Did he look as good in a tux as he does now?"

"Mmm hmm! I think even Kevin had second thoughts when he and Liv-the-bimbo-of-Oakdale stopped by our table afterwards, do you know what Luke says to me?"

Reid raised his eyebrows clearly having no idea what Luke might say in such a situation.

Maddie leaned forward conspiratorially, simultaneously lowering her voice and invading Reid's space. "So, Luke says to me, 'I just wish I had what they have. You know, someone I can feel close to; a guy that gets me the way that Casey gets you."

Reid paused to process Maddie's last whisper.

"Can you believe that? I mean, here is a guy who's so sweet he took me to prom so that I wouldn't sit home feeling sorry for myself. And meanwhile, he can't find the love of his life either…until Noah comes into the picture."

"Okay," Reid interrupted. "Stop there. Is there a 'kick me' or 'tell me stories about my boyfriend and his ex' sticky stuck to my forehead or something? What makes you think I want to hear anything about Luke and Mr. Spielberg-wannabe?"

"Huh?" Maddie asked. "Luke hasn't told you all this, like, a million times?"

"Like, um, _no_."

"Why not? It's part of who he is."

Reid scowled, skeptically, fighting a wave of nausea.

"You need to hear this," Maddie challenged, folding her arms. "I'm not going to go into graphic details. Besides, I don't know why you've got your boxers tied up in a knot." Reid briefly wondered if Maddie's reference was a lucky guess or if Luke had discussed his underwear preferences with anyone else in addition to Maddie.

"Luke and Noah will always share something because they were each other's firsts." Maddie explained.

Reid's wave threatened to turn into a tsunami. He coughed uncomfortably.

"But they've both moved on. Luke's got you, obviously. And Noah's out in LA where he really belongs. He's making movies, he's meeting people in the Business. And he's back on the horse, if you get my drift."

"Meaning…"

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" Maddie asked, exasperated. "He's dating. There, I said it. Is that clear enough for you? He's gone out with a bunch of guys and a few of them sound pretty promising. A couple of actors, of course. Gorgeous, no doubt. A sound editor, and an aspiring cinematographer."

_Luke never said anything about new boyfriends_, Reid thought to himself, conveniently forgetting that he tended to shut down anytime Noah's name was mentioned. "And you know all this, how?" he asked.

"Well, we only talk, like, every week," she replied.

For the second time in the evening, Reid was stunned. "Really?" he asked, genuinely incredulously. He'd always thought Luke was pathologically naïve in his desire to remain friends with Noah. His own past relationships had always been superficial, so it had never really occurred to him that remaining friendly with exes might actually be within two standard deviations of normal behavior.

"Well, _duh!"_ Maddie replied. "Of course! He's my ex-boyfriend, not my mortal enemy. I know he and Luke had their problems..."

Reid rolled his eyes.

"…but he's really not a bad guy. Just sometimes a little misguided," she rationalized. "We broke up on good terms, so, yeah, we still talk all the time. We have the best time comparing notes on the newest films, music, our love lives. He's the only one I've ever met who gets my obsession with old movies. Sometimes we'll even do a live-watch on Netflix– we'll each pull up the same film and make some popcorn – it's almost like he never moved!"

"Okay, that's enough information. _You_ might not mind hearing about your own ex-boyfriend's new boy-toys, but I already know about a million and six times more about Noah Mayer's love life than I ever wanted to know," Reid declared.

"Well then, geez, Reid, you're missing out on a big part of what makes Luke, Luke. Like it or not, part of what made Luke and still influences him today was Noah. It's because of Noah – and me, I guess – that Luke started writing his webisodes for WOAK, and they were _amazing. _Everything he wrote, from his outlines to the final scripts – they were complete awesomesauce. I mean, really amazing. Luke _totally_ gets what it feels like to fall in love and how relationships work."

"Noah and _you?"_ Reid asked.

"Yeah," Maddie replied. "Luke kept his own feelings hidden inside while Noah tried to convince himself that he could make things work with me. Even with the way he felt, he didn't want to break us up. I think Noah hoped that if he spent more time with me, he'd 'stay' straight." Maddie used air-quotes to punctuate the last part. "We were even planning on moving in together."

Reid was furiously searching through his memories trying to remember how much of this Luke had previously tried to tell him and how much he had prevented himself from hearing. _Noah and Maddie. Moving in together. WOAK…_

"But it was only thanks to the dearest big brother in the world," Maddie swept her arm out to point across the room at Henry, "that I figured out what a big mistake I was making."

"Henry?" Reid asked incredulously.

Henry, had been surprised to see that Reid and Maddie had been talking for almost 20 minutes – well, Maddie appeared to be doing most of the talking, but at least Reid hadn't run off screaming, nor had he tried to lock her in a closet or any other small confined space. After watching Maddie pointing at him and smiling, Henry headed across the room to eavesdrop, while Luke went into the kitchen to refill his drink.

"Hey, Sweetie," Henry said to Maddie. "If Dr. No here is bothering you, I can —"

"No, Henry," Maddie laughed. "Reid and I are just having a good time getting to know each other."

"Seriously?" Henry asked.

"Yes, dear brother," Maddie said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I was just telling Reid about how Noah and I were planning to get an apartment together."

"Oh yeah," Henry said. "Talk about a bad idea to top all bad ideas. Vienna and I had finally figured out a way we could use the diner as collateral so we could take out to send you to Wesleyan," Henry said, "Then this fiasco came along." Reid felt momentarily more impressed by Henry.

"Wesleyan?" Reid asked, impressed.

"Yeah," Maddie had admitted. "It was always my dream school. And I'm only there now because Casey secretly sent in my application. But when Noah asked me to move in with him, I deferred my acceptance."

"He did _what?_" Reid asked. "Noah asked an intelligent young woman to ditch one of the finest American liberal arts colleges to go to OU?"

"Why, thank you," Maddie smiled broadly. Henry put a hand on Reid's forehead to make sure he was feeling all right, and Reid flinched out of his reach.

"So, Henry tried to talk me out of it," Maddie continued, "but I had made up my mind. So being the awesome and supportive brother that he is, he co-signed the lease for us, since of course, neither Noah nor I had any money." Henry nodded in the background. "But _then_," she said conspiratorially, "he goes _behind my back_ to see….."

"…Colonel Winston Mayer," Henry inserted, "who's just a few slices short of a loaf, if you catch my drift…"

"And he tries to see if the two of them can gang up on us to change our minds," Maddie finished.

"How sweet," Reid said curtly.

"I knew something was weird about Col. Mayer the first time I saw him with Noah and Luke together," Henry recalled. "I was planning a bridal shower for Katie." He stopped himself and turned to Maddie. "Who was the groom that time?

"Jack?" Maddie asked.

"Right, Jack," Henry agreed and continued. "So, anyway, where was I?"

"Something about someone a few slices short of a loaf," Reid said, nodding at Henry.

"Right, Mayer," Henry said. "So damn if I wasn't floored that the son of a gun couldn't _wait_ for the two of them to move in together. I mean, these kids were barely out of their teens and they'd known each other for only a few months. That lunatic actually told me he could think of nothing better! Something was seriously wrong with that man."

Maddie nodded in agreement, while Reid questioned Henry's ability to judge anyone else's sanity.

"So then I started paying more attention, and my anti-gaydar started going haywire," Henry said.

"Anti-gaydar?" Reid asked.

"Yeah. Mayer was a serious right-wing whack job homophobe. He freaked out any time Luke's name was even mentioned and just couldn't seem to get his head around the fact that Bubbles is my very best friend in the world," Henry continued. "He seemed to think that any man with a woman for a best friend had to be a complete flamer."

"Have you taken at your wardrobe lately, Hank?" Reid injected.

"He even _paid_ for all the furniture in our new apartment," Maddie added. "What kind of father does _that? _I was totally the queen of De Nile."

"So, it was clear Mayer thought something was going on between Luke and Noah, and that Maddie was the solution." Henry said. "What I couldn't tell is whether he was just a paranoid nutcase, or whether something really was going on. But either way, I had to break the news to Maddie." He looked at her, still somewhat apologetically.

Maddie turned to Henry and said, "You told me you'd never wished more to be wrong about anything….though you weren't."

"I know, honey," Henry said. "And it killed me to be the one who had to tell you."

"It wasn't your fault," Maddie consoled him. "It's like the time you got stuck telling me my hamster died."

"Chuckles!" they both exclaimed together. Then remembering a long-repeated ritual, they folded their hands prayer-like, bowed their heads, and chanted, "May he rest in peace."

"So," Maddie picked up where she left off, "I cornered Luke and asked him if there was anything going on with him and Noah, and he told me I had to ask Noah. It was pretty clear that Noah had sworn him to secrecy, but once the flood gates were open, thanks to Luke, Noah finally realized he had to be true to himself, not his dad."

"Yeah, so Mayer acts like he's all hunky-dory with Noah," Henry concluded, "but, then, we all know how that turned out, right?"

Reid stared blankly back at both of them.

Maddie gasped in surprise and looked at Reid reproachfully. "You don't know?"

Reid shook his head barely perceptibly.

"Well, you should thank Maddie, because it's on account of her that Luke is standing here today," Henry explained proudly. "She didn't trust Mayer and was the one who tipped off Holden."

"Yeah," Maddie agreed. "And it's a good thing Holden took me seriously. If he hadn't stepped in when he did, we wouldn't be standing here talking to either of you today." She looked soberly at Luke and Reid. Reid silently said a prayer of thanks to Holden Snyder. "And it's a good thing Noah eventually found his way back to Luke, because he's the one who helped Luke walk again."

"And they lived happily ever after," Reid snarked.

Maddie crossed her arms critically, and Henry rolled his eyes.

"Hey, you know what they say about frogs, right?" she asked him.

"_Frogs?"_ Reid asked.

Maddie smiled at him. "You gotta kiss a lot of them before you find your Prince Charming."

Reid scowled back.

"Lucky for Luke it looks like he's done with amphibians," Maddie winked at Reid. "You just better remember, though, Princey, if you break Luke's heart, you'll have me to answer to."

Henry nodded in support.

"I wonder if I'll ever find _my_ Prince Charming," Maddie wondered out loud.

"Maddie, you're young, you're beautiful, and you're smart. The right guy for you is out there somewhere. Look at me."

Reid nodded. "I can't believe I'm agreeing with him, but he's right. If he can find someone, you should have no problem." Henry shot a glare at him.

"I have a terrible love life, but a pretty cool brother," Maddie said smiling. She wrapped her arms around Henry's waist in a big hug.

"Don't you worry, Sweetie. Two is _not_ a history," Henry consoled, putting a protective arm around her shoulder. "_Eight_, on the other hand…" He and Reid both glanced over at Chris and Katie who were putting the finishing touches on the table.

* * *

"Hey, Dr. Frankenchef," Henry's voice crashed into Reid's thoughts. "What're you doing in there? Stomping the grapes?"

Hearing Henry's prompt, Reid looked down to find he had drained the glass he was holding. _Shit_, he muttered to himself, as he quickly rinsed off the glass in the sink and refilled the glass.

Henry had made himself comfortable on the couch and had guessed (incorrectly), at random, which glass was Katie's, and helped himself to a few swigs.

Reid emerged to find Henry sitting, on his side of the couch, drinking champagne from _his _glass, with his arm protectively wrapped around Katie's shoulders, just as he'd done with Maddie at the engagement dinner a few months before.

Henry looked up and finally got a good look at Reid's apron, which he hadn't noticed while the two were bickering in the doorway. Henry stood up, stammering and tripping over the couch as he backed his way towards the door. "Oh, no, no, no. Bubbles, I love you, but this is asking too much. I can't do this…"

"What the hell is wrong with you, Hank?" Reid, who had completely forgotten about the apron. "What?" Reid demanded. Then, following Henry's eyes, he looked down and saw the offending apron. _Kiss me, I cooked your dinner._

"Damn it, Katie! This is all your fault."

Katie could barely stifle her laughter, seeing Reid come about as close to being flustered as she'd ever seen him. "Be grateful I didn't buy you the one that reads, 'Will cook for sex' or 'I may have a bad mouth but I can do great things with it.' Or —"

Henry had put his fingers in his ears and shouted to compensate for his dampened hearing, "La-la-la-la-la, Katie, I'm not listening to you!" He continued humming in a loud monotone.

Katie was clearly enjoying herself, "Oh yeah, and of course, there was the one that said, 'Don't make me poison your dinner.'"

"Oh, no, Bubbles," Henry looked at her like a disappointed nanny. "Don't you give him any ideas. That quack put me in solitary!"

By now, though, even Reid was starting to be amused. "Relax, Hank. How about a drink?" He offered the glass he was carrying.

"No way. With all that time you spent in the kitchen, you could have _brewed _your own poison. No, thanks. I brought my own." Henry pulled out the two bottles of wine from the shopping bag he'd left at the side of the couch. I wouldn't put it past Dr. Kill-dare here to do me in now that he has a chance."

"You know, Hank," Reid offered, standing up and walking towards his medical bag. "I didn't even know you were coming. But now that you mention it, there were a few other ingredients that I should probably add to the dinner —"

Katie reached over and grabbed him by the leg and pushed him back into the chair. "Don't you dare, buster. And stop teasing Henry."

Henry gave Reid a "so there!" look while Reid replied innocently, "Who's teasing?"

"Now that I have both of your attention," Katie announced, I have some wedding plans to go over."

Both men found common ground as they looked at each other with a shared look of panic and resignation…

* * *

_**A/N: **__I had the most f__un shopping for aprons for Reid (and Luke, whose apron will make an appearance in the next chapter or so). Among the ones I rejected for Reid were, "Damn I'm good," "If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong," "I never make mistakes – I thought I did once, but I was mistaken," "I kiss better than I cook,"_ _"Eat Me," "Easily annoyed…you've been warned!?" And yes, they really do sell a "World's Sexiest Neurosurgeon" apron at Zazzle.  
_

_My personal favorite, though. was the one that read, "Marriage is a relationship where one person is right and the other is the husband." :)_

_In the meantime, I try not to self-pimp too much, but I recently did some poking around and discovered (I think) is that this fic is the most-faved single-ship story across all daytime soap fandoms! And it's only three follows short of being the most followed (yes, I'm a data geek, but if you've seen my blog, or read my posts at LRO, you already knew that).  
_

_If you do decide to stick around for whatever comes next, I really feel the best is still yet to come – including the "first time" flashback (finally!), Luke's return to Oakdale, and what happens further down the line (yeah, we can all guess where this will end up, but it's how they get there that's the fun – right?). I just reviewed my story notes and found ideas I can't wait to write about. The hard part is stringing it together so it hangs as a serial, rather than a bunch of one-shots thrown together. That part is definitely work, but as always, a labor of love._

_In the meantime, I'm back to writing again, though I'm admittedly a little distracted these days by a new fandom-crush. But coming back to this story is like going home – everything is so familiar and comfortable._

_As always, thanks again for reading!_


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